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Natural Resource Contests and Precolonial Institutions in Papua New Guinea

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Peer-reviewed

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Article

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Abstract

This article investigates the role that precolonial institutions play in relation to post-colonial natural resource ownership contests. Papua New Guinea provides a unique case study as it is recorded as having the most decentralized precolonial political institutions of any post colonial state. After an examination of its precolonial institutions, colonial land policy, and three case studies, it is concluded that persistent highly decentralized customary political units coupled with customary notions inalienability of land, and overlaid with a state property rights regime, leads to resource contests. It is concluded that resource ownership contests can have serious adverse consequences for resource management and that they are not easily overcome.

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Keywords

natural resource contests, legal pluralism, precolonial institutions, resource conservation

Journal Title

Journal of Agrarian Change

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Journal ISSN

1471-0358
1471-0366

Volume Title

17

Publisher

Wiley