Decades of mining has taken a toll on Jamaica’s land and people. Now, the government wants to move mining operations into the most ecologically sensitive part of the island: Cockpit Country. It’s the ancestral home of the Maroons, the descendants of indigenous people and formerly enslaved Africans who joined together to fight British colonizers. But the people who live in Cockpit Country are resisting.

Alzo Slade takes us to Cockpit Country, where residents say they will not allow mining on this sacred land.

This episode was produced by Jen Kinney. Special thanks to Eric Weinrib, Andrea Davis and Patricio Matos who produced and reported a version of this story for VICE News. You can watch their film at Vice.com, or on Youtube.

VICE News Reports is hosted by Arielle Duhaime-Ross and produced by Jesse Alejandro Cottrell, Sophie Kazis, Jen Kinney, Janice Llamoca, Julia Nutter, and Sayre Quevedo. Our senior producers are Ashley Cleek and Adizah Eghan. Our associate producers are Steph Brown, Sam Eagan, and Adreanna Rodriguez. Sound design and music composition by Steve Bone, Pran Bandi and Kyle Murdock.

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The Fight for Jamaica’s Red Gold

VICE News Reports