Thought Leadership
Insights
Practical thinking on First Nations economic development, mining-sector partnerships, Indigenous joint ventures, and the structural work of keeping value in communities. One new piece per quarter.
Beyond Neutral: What Nations and Proponents Should Demand From Any Intermediary
Most intermediaries between First Nation communities and the industry, government, and capital that flows through their territories are neutral conduits. They connect parties, facilitate meetings, and step aside. This piece argues that neutrality serves no one — and sets out the accountability, structure, and candour that Nations and proponents alike should demand from anyone standing in the middle.
Request the Article →Economic Migration in First Nations: How Value Leaves and How to Keep It Home
When an outside contractor wins a contract on First Nations territory, or when a federal program funds a service delivered by a non-Indigenous firm, value flows out of the Nation and rarely flows back. Over time, that outflow compounds. This piece defines economic migration in the First Nations context and outlines the strategic responses that work.
Request the Article →Trust Precedes Scope: What Outside Help Owes a Nation's Table
Six observations from thirty years at Chief-and-Council tables — why trust precedes scope, why control is the question under every question, and what any outside advisor or proponent owes the process. Written for leaders weighing outside help, and for the outsiders who want to earn a seat.
Request the Article →Indigenous Joint Ventures: What Makes Some Work and Most Fail
A practical piece on the structural elements of well-designed Indigenous joint ventures — equity structure, governance, decision rights, exit provisions, value capture, capacity building components, and the specific mistakes that doom most joint ventures early. Draws on field literature and direct experience.
Request the Article →New insights, quarterly.
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