Indigenous Resentment and Environmental Risk Perceptions in Ecuador

• In Event: Party Networks, Indigenous Politics, and Civil Society in Latin America

Abstract

We explore the relationship between Indigenous resentment and environmental risk perceptions in Ecuador, hypothesizing that attitudes about Indigenous communities significantly influence environmental views. This hypothesis is rooted in the historical context of colonization that carries through individual system justification tendencies. Colonialism has disrupted traditional human-environment interactions but more recently, there has been a recognition of the growing potential for Indigenous communities to offer unique perspectives on land management, ecosystem health, and disaster response. Our analysis suggests that support for racial and ethnic hierarchies is a reflection of system justification tendencies (inclination to maintain existing power structures), which underpin opposition to environmental concerns. Utilizing original survey data from Ecuador and the Latin American Public Opinion Project Ecuador survey, our analysis reveals a negative relationship between Indigenous resentment and environmental risk perceptions. The results emphasize that addressing Indigenous resentment and historical injustices is crucial for fostering greater concern about environmental issues.

Authors

• Carew E. Boulding, University of Colorado, Boulder

• Raymond Foxworth, First Nations Development Institute

• Marija Verner, Yale University