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Notes -
Of course the indigenous people should have the right to prevent building power plants or anything else on their land - and so should everyone else. It’s called private property. Offer them enough money or other incentives and they’ll agree to let you build it, this is the only moral way to resolve the situation.
The issue is that indigenous peoples might have controlled an area for centuries, but before the notion of private property was applied.
Should the state treat the land as private property of the indigenous people?
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The question wasn't about their land, it was about "their" land in quotes--that is, land that they don't legally own, but which they've made some sort of claim to.
I think these claims should be given about as much respect as Muslims' claims that it's wrong to draw Mohammed, which is to say, none. Generally, you either own it or you don't. If you want to claim rights to something you don't own, I want to see a treaty or other document spelling that out. And if you just say "well, it was conquered from us", either challenge the entire conquest, or don't--don't selectively challenge the aspects of the conquest that you think you're most likely to get away with challenging.
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