Introduction—Global Structures, Indigenous Resistance, and Political Economy

This introductory chapter establishes the conceptual and historical framework for the volume by situating Indigenous political economy within the intertwined forces of colonialism, capitalism, state formation, and global inequality. It argues that Indigenous peoples should not be treated as peripheral subjects of development, but as political actors whose economic traditions, land relations, and systems of governance fundamentally challenge dominant accounts of modernity and progress. Building on the foundations of Volume 1, the chapter critically engages neoclassical, Marxist, decolonial, and world-systems approaches, highlighting both their explanatory value and their limits when applied to Indigenous realities. Particular attention is given to the enduring consequences of settler colonialism, extractive development, and neoliberal restructuring for Indigenous sovereignty, labour, and ecological relations. The chapter also introduces the comparative and interdisciplinary method of the volume, drawing together cases from the Americas, the Arctic, Africa, Asia, and Oceania to trace recurring patterns of dispossession, resistance, and resurgence. Framing the book as both critique and intervention, it sets out the central questions that guide the study: how Indigenous peoples confront structural injustice, how they enact renewal under hostile conditions, and how their political economies illuminate more just, plural, and ecologically grounded futures.