Rogue Diamonds

When geologist Chuck Fipke discovered diamonds on the Barren Grounds near Yellowknife in Canada's Arctic, international mining companies almost immediately began to stake claims to the minerals: pure "ice" diamonds untainted by bloodshed and war.

These diamond lands are home to the Dene, Native peoples who have hunted, fished, and lived on these grounds since time immemorial. To mine these lands required the agreement of the First Nations, the Inuit, the mining company, and two levels of government. Ellen Bielawski was part of the negotiation team that painstakingly put together a deal to satisfy all involved, and Rogue Diamonds is her provocative and insightful telling of this intense time. From closed-door meetings in town to sacred ceremonies on the land, Bielawski weaves a thought-provoking story.

"A compelling account of the great diamond rush of the 1990s. . . . The true power of this book lies in Bielawski's unique northern voice, and acute rendering of a life on the land and the healing power of old ways."