Mákook pi Sélim
Indigenous Business Magazine
JUNE 2022
Published by
dripa action plan what comes next for b.c.
Changing climate change following indigenous leadership
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Jordyn Little-Charles and Chief Russ Chipps participate in a day of drumbuilding at Sc’ianew First Nation.
How can community roots grow better partnerships? Respecting and learning about diverse Indigenous cultures is one way we build meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities. In honour of National Indigenous History Month, we’re sharing new experiences to explore and learn about the First Nations communities we serve. We’d like to thank our Indigenous partners for sharing these opportunities and helping us grow. Learn more about our community ties at fortisbc.com/indigenous.
FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc. use the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (22-011.22 05/2022)
22-011.22 NIHM BIV Print Ad 8.125x10.75in PP1.indd 1 BIV_ MPS_2022_32R.indd 2
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CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH EACH OTHER AND TO THE LAND Iskwew Air (ISS-KWAY-YO) offers daily scheduled service between YVR South and Qualicum Beach Airport and charter services to communities around the province of British Columbia. Together we are reimagining the future of aviation, decolonizing and decarbonizing our skies for the next 7 generations. Book now at iskwew.ca.
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MAMOOK KOPA B.C. (MADE IN B.C.) REIN STAMM
The business world is constantly changing as new opportunities arise and, in turn, drive technological innovation. In this light, human language is a technology. Chinook Jargon is a technological innovation that utilizes about 700 words: roughly 25% French, 25% English and 50% Indigenous. Chinook Jargon, as we know it, was developing on the West Coast in the early 1800s as new opportunities were arising. By the 1840s, when the Hudson Bay Co.’s Chief Factor James Douglas established Fort Camosun (present day Victoria), Chinook Jargon was the home language for some families. Some 60 years later, though new opportunities continued to present themselves, its usage was in decline and English — seen as a better technology — became B.C.’s dominant language. Yet here we are, almost 125 years later, five generations past Chinook Jargon’s “best before date” and the language still lingers. This is not just a reference to the numerous place names and street names that can be found throughout the province. But rather, this refers to more recent ventures, such as Mákook pi Sélim. Check the local phonebook (or kids, if you prefer — Google) and one sees numerous
businesses that carry a Chinook Jargon name. A quick search for “Klahanie” or “Nesika” or “Tyee” tells the tale of the language’s staying power. Why such staying power? Clearly, for some, Indigenous or not, Chinook Jargon remains a very important part of British Columbia. Back in 1931, the University of British Columbia Student Handbook promoted the use of “Klahowya” as a student greeting, because the word “is too rich in association with the early history of our province, too appropriately ours, in a word too British Columbian to be lost to us.” In this writer’s view, this description pretty well applies to the entire Chinook Jargon lexicon. The language is a constant reminder of a history that should not be forgotten; a history that we all can learn from as we move to a more equitable future. The future brings opportunities. Perhaps Chinook Jargon, now some 220 years old, still has a technological role to play in branding B.C. companies and products. “Mamook kopa B.C.” has a lovely ring to it. É Rein Stamm is part of the Chinook Jargon community. He offers Snass Sessions and other seminars to keep the language alive, and spends most Saturday mornings with a group of Chinook Jargon devotees.
THE LANGUAGE IS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF A HISTORY THAT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN; A HISTORY THAT WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM AS WE MOVE TO A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE
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DEYEN: AN INVITATION TO
TRANSFORM A powerful online learning platform that centres the wisdom, traditional knowledge, worldviews, and lived experiences of the original Matriarchs of the lands often referred to as Canada. FOR A TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE VISIT DEYEN.CA
ILLUSTRATION BY BRIDGET GEORGE
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CHANGING CLIMATE CHANGE And the need to include Indigenous Knowledge in the solution
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KŁAWUM’ PAŦKI (BEVERLEY O’NEIL)
I
was born Haida,” says Miles Richardson. He’s of a people born with responsibilities. “That responsibility is an integral part of who I am.
Each of us as First Nations are a story of a relationship between people and the place — you can never mix us Haida with Ktunaxa, or the Cree and the Dene.” Known as Kilslaay Kaaji Sding, Miles is chair of the Haida Enterprise Corp. (HaiCo), former chief commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission, an Order of Canada recipient, and an original member of the David Suzuki Foundation, where he remains on the board today. He’s been a leader in Haida Gwaii environmental protection and conservation, standing alongside his people in the 1980s battling to prevent the forestry industry from cutting their trees. Though the courts were ruling in favour of corporations, they didn’t worry about jail. They believed they would have to put their lives on the line, and that the courts wouldn’t protect them. It was that important. They led with proper ceremony; spiritual leaders from other First Nations joined them. Today, 100% of Haida Gwaii is subject to government-to-government decision-making. This is a big step to recognition of Haida bringing back their proper jurisdiction to Haida Gwaii. It’s not Old Massett, B.C. — it is Old Massett, Haida Gwaii. As Richardson says, “Nothing happens in Haida Gwaii without our consent.” Indigenous Peoples’ first obligation is to Mother Earth. Without her, First Nations and their cultures cease to exist. The Haida, like the Ktunaxa, and all First Nations globally, have shared values and connection to the land. “You can never mix us — the Haida and the Ktunaxa — we are very different. Each of our nations is the story of a people and a place.” In fulfilling this duty, ancestral principles are applied, ensuring the lands, waters, sky, wildlife, sea creatures and resources exist for future generations, as ancestors ensured their existence for people today. While B.C. has vast wide-open spaces uninhabited by humans, to First Nations, these places were managed by their ancestors to be this way: available and abundant, not untouched by man. HaiCo and Haida Tourism in 2019 adjusted its business to align with Haida values. “Our people told us, ‘You don’t play with your food,’” says Richardson. The two high-end fishing lodges HaiCo owned were harming the environment. Anywhere from 6% to 20% of catch-and-release fish die depending on the type of fish, water temperature, duration of fight, time out of water and other factors. After deep discussion, HaiCo closed its lodges. It was more important to protect the environment and fulfill their responsibility to the earth, than to trade it for profit. This western way of thinking removed the First Nations’
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All of Haida Gwaii is subject to government-to-government decision-making • HAICO
power through colonization of the people and the place. “Canada is a description, it is not the place. If we drill right down, we see the Indigenous teachings are not just Indigenous, they are human understanding of the laws of nature. If we break the laws [of nature], we pay the price,” says Richardson. These ideas are universal among First Nations, whether it be Mãori First Nations of Australia, or Makushi in Guyana, Indigenous Peoples are one with the land. Every Indigenous person is born with responsibilities before they have rights. Knowing this is the start to understanding the plight of First Nations, to restoring Indigenous rights in economic development and governance, and key in the battle against climate change. “We got to this situation [climate change], because corporations have a hell of a time listening,” says Richardson. “Western society has denied that things have got far out of balance.”
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CHANGING CLIMATE CHANGE
Miles Richardson is currently chair of Haida Enterprise Corp. and a board member of the David Suzuki Foundation • NEW RELATIONSHIP TRUST
First Nations know firsthand what happens when governments make laws over lands they don’t know. Numerous First Nations reservations are in places ancestors never settled. Ancestors knew where to be, and when to stop using a resource. “Canada law doesn’t have or see the responsibility [we have] of protecting lands. There’s too much power through nation states and the corporation of people that run them. It makes it so easy for people to forget the fundamental principles of people and place,” says Richardson. Today in many First Nations, spring means ‘flood season,” now so does fall. In late fall 2021, Sumas Prairie became Sumas Lake. The mountains and rivers were unable to hold back heavy rains in the Nicola Valley, wiping out Shackan Indian Band, isolating Nooaitch Indian Band, placing most of Merritt under water and taking out chunks of the Coquihalla and Trans-Canada Highways. In 2021, fire decimated Lytton First Nation and many of the Nlaka'pamux Bands, destroyed the town of Lytton and devasted many other places, leveling homes and evacuating communities. In 1975, the increase in earth’s average temperature was called global warming. Not long after, the term ‘climate change’ was coined. By 2009, climate change was the dominant expression, a term that was described as less volatile than ‘global warming,’ which increased emotions forcing issue engagement. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5ºC, “human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels.” Between 2030 and 2052, global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C. “We need both Indigenous Knowledge and science,” says Richardson. The David Suzuki Foundation recognized the value of Haida knowledge pairing with science. “Science is the measurement. Indigenous Knowledge is about the big picture relationship,” Richardson adds. This relationship is also detailed in the book Secwépemc People, Land, and Laws by Skeetchestn First Nation former Chief Ron Ignace and Marianne Ignace. The book connects Secwépemc knowledge and teachings with archaeology and science. “Sustainability has become the ‘virtuous’ human objective — to commit to each other to be around for a while. We as humans need to see Canada evolve to the place where our [First Nation] laws are the authority,” says Richardson. É Kławum’ Paŧki (Beverley O’Neil), is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation. She is a writer, journalist, facilitator, Kumtuk (consultant) and a founder of Indigenous Tourism BC.
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SUSTAINABILITY HAS BECOME THE ‘VIRTUOUS’ HUMAN OBJECTIVE — TO COMMIT TO EACH OTHER TO BE AROUND FOR A WHILE. WE AS HUMANS NEED TO SEE CANADA EVOLVE TO THE PLACE WHERE OUR [FIRST NATION] LAWS ARE THE AUTHORITY j Miles Richardson Chair Haida Enterprise Corp.
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Walking the path of Reconciliation, together. TELUS is committed to progressing the path of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through concrete and meaningful action. Join us in welcoming the inaugural Indigenous Advisory Council. These experienced Indigenous leaders will provide advice and guidance on the implementation of TELUS’ Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan commitments.
Carol Anne Hilton
Luc Lainé
Shani Gwin
Dr. Kim van der Woerd
Founder of Indigenomics Institute, Nuu chah nulth descent from Hesquiaht Nation
Former AFN Co-Chairman, former Huron-Wendat Delegated Chief
Founder and managing partner of pipikwan pêhtâkwan, Metis Nation of Alberta
Founder of Reciprocal Consulting, ‘Namgis ¯ ¯ First Nation
Read our full commitment to Reconciliation at telus.com/Reconciliation © 2022 TELUS.
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INDIGENOUS INPUT SHAPES A NEW LEGAL LANDSCAPE Legal advocacy is enabling immense community and economic opportunities
JEFFREY NICHOLLS
Indigenous Peoples often bear a disproportionate burden in the journey of reconciliation and building a more just society. Yet, over the past years, decades and generations, Indigenous Peoples have been successful in significantly reshaping the social, political and legal landscape of Canada. It is notable that much of this advance toward justice has occurred in court. Tireless advocacy by Indigenous Peoples has given rise to powerful legal concepts, including the duty to consult and accommodate, Aboriginal rights and title and many others. These concepts act to hedge the cultural continuity and self-determination of our people. They also benefit all of society. My personal definition of reconciliation requires tangible or material contributions toward the collective agency of Indigenous Peoples. In other words, for reconciliation to have meaning for me, something real must change hands: land, money, authority. This led me to a career in law, assisting Indigenous Peoples to manifest the fullest expression of their rights and distinct legal traditions. I have witnessed the jeopardy felt by my clients: treaty rights infringed by a “thousand cuts,” salmon-bearing rivers erased, sacred sites contaminated, perspectives not heard. These circumstances sharpen the importance of legal recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ way of life. These same circumstances also sharpen the issues that exist within our shared legal system in Canada. Let’s not forget within generational living memory, it was illegal for Indigenous Peoples to hire lawyers — a fact I often reflect on as an Indigenous member of the bar.
The trajectory of change, brought about by legal advocacy, has enabled immense opportunities for economic and community development. This work includes building constitutions, building infrastructure and building a more equitable society. I’m honoured to participate in this work each day at Ratcliff. Our clients really are taking the lead in a new reality of respect and recognition. A mentor once shared with me that hope is a verb. He even got that phrase made into a T-shirt. The message stuck with me. The immense projects of addressing Indigenous rights, environmental justice and access to justice demand hope and demand action. This is the banner of Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs (RAVEN), a charitable organization devoted to raising funds to assist Indigenous Peoples enforcing their rights in court to protect their territories. By my own definition, the work of RAVEN is reconciliation in action — something real. Thousands of people, together raising millions of dollars, materially contribute to the legal agency of Indigenous Peoples. RAVEN is a megaphone for Indigenous Peoples, amplifying our perspectives and marshaling support for legal battles being waged in the name of a more just society. Please consider learning about Neskantaga First Nation’s effort to uphold free, prior and informed consent, or Gitxaała’s effort to bring B.C.’s Mineral Tenure Act into line with B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or any other RAVEN campaign. The legal landscape remains fertile ground with ever evolving challenges and opportunities. Hope is a verb — let’s do something together! É Jeffrey Nicholls is an associate lawyer at Ratcliff LLP and president of Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs (RAVEN).
MY PERSONAL DEFINITION OF RECONCILIATION REQUIRES TANGIBLE OR MATERIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD THE COLLECTIVE AGENCY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
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A STEP TOWARD SOVEREIGNTY New Centre of Excellence to support First Nations’ economic development
CHIEF TERRY TEEGEE
First Nations economic reconciliation and economic sovereignty are long overdue in British Columbia and across the country. For generations, First Nations have endured the colonial laws and systems created to hinder our rightful opportunities to prosper from our lands, waters, resources and cultures. The reality is that First Nations are living in an economic ecosystem designed for our failure. Meanwhile, settler communities and industries have been built upon and have benefited from the valuable resources located in First Nations territories. It is time for economic development in this province to align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The UN declaration affirms the critical need to respect and advance Indigenous Peoples’ inherent rights, which derive from our political, economic and social structures. Additionally, the declaration and several other internationally endorsed agreements acknowledge the fundamental importance of First Nations’ right to self-determination, including the right to freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development. There remain gaps for First Nations in B.C. in today’s economic landscape. However, there are myriad business opportunities for First Nations governments, entrepreneurs and organizations. To support First Nations capacity building, the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) is working with the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation to fund the creation of the BC First Nations Centre of Excellence (CoE) in economic development. The CoE is an exciting opportunity to showcase First Nations’ innovation and excellence in entrepreneurship. It envisions a British Columbia where the collective
economic value and influence of First Nations are further realized as our rights and title are fully recognized and implemented. The CoE will lead, support and partner on initiatives that promote the realization of First Nations’ economic value and rights and title in B.C. It will also house a suite of support services for First Nations, organizations and citizens. As the CoE grows, the BCAFN envisions a tripartite model with funding and expertise provided by First Nations, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. Guided by a powerful vision and mission for First Nations’ economic development, the CoE will support and advance First Nations’ right to maintain and strengthen our distinct political, economic and cultural institutions, while preserving our right to participate fully and autonomously in Canada and B.C.’s economies. In addition, the CoE embodies First Nations’ right to improve our economic and social conditions without discrimination. Despite the countless systemic barriers constructed to cede First Nations’ wealth and resources into the hands of others, we have demonstrated our resilience, innovation and business acumen. As Regional Chief, I am proud to acknowledge that the creation of this Centre of Excellence in economic development is the result of several years of important discussions and guidance from Chiefs. With their mandate, the BCAFN is keen to undertake the challenging work of dismantling colonial barriers and rebuilding economic systems so that future generations may enjoy economic sovereignty and prosperity. There are still many steps on the path of reconciliation between First Nations and settler governments, institutions and communities. However, the BCAFN is ready to launch this first step toward economic sovereignty, and we invite the provincial and federal governments to match it. É Terry Teegee is the elected Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations.
IT IS TIME FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS PROVINCE TO ALIGN WITH THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
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DRIPA ACTION PLAN
Action was needed, but is the plan bold, bureaucratic or both?
MERLE ALEXANDER
B
.C. First Nations sought an action plan that would bring a reckoning to colonialism, deliver the tectonic change that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) embodies and be the knockout punch to racism within the law. No small task — I guess we needed capes, not Zoom meetings. The fact is that implementing UNDRIP is a marathon relay race, not a sprint for today’s best and brightest. Reversing colonialism will take generations, and B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) Action Plan is the beginning, not the end. So, is the Action Plan bold? Yes, it is bold enough. The 89 actions will take more than the existing capacity within Indigenous right-holders to deliver true change in five years. We are mighty but we do not have the thousands of lawyers, consultants and technicians of our Crown “partners.” Is the Action Plan bureaucratic? Yes, it is bureaucratic aplenty. Indigenous Peoples are “co-developers” of UNDRIP implementation, but we are not yet “co-drafters.” As a lawyer, I am drawn to the legal reform initiatives. There are some exceptional commitments to modernize legislation, including: ■ DRIPA s.7 (2.4 & 2.5); ■ Environmental assessment – cumulative impacts (2.6); ■ Emergency Management legislation (2.7); ■ Forest legislation (2.10); and ■ Mineral Tenure Act (2.14). On DRIPA section 7, we are experiencing inertia that prevents the mandating of consent-based decision-making. You can expect that these two actions will deliver a broader opening (hopefully a global opening) of the enabled consent-based negotiations that need to occur in B.C. So instead of the lone Tahltan Nation’s environmental assessment consent agreement, there will dozens of negotiations throughout the province. This single action alone could empower right-holders where it counts. On environmental assessment, instead of the tunnel vision
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The B.C. government's DRIPA Action Plan was released in March 2022 • PROVINCE OF BC/FLICKR
assessment of single approvals, B.C. will need to honour the Blueberry River First Nation legal victory and consider the cumulative effects of industrial activity within a region. We need to track the saturation of projects that are like death by a thousand cuts in our territories. Also, you can predictably expect that First Nations will want to see consent as a legal requirement, instead of consensus as an aim.
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On emergency management, this is an area where co-jurisdiction is a must. First Nations have survived and flourished in their territories through fires, floods and other disasters because of their applied Indigenous Knowledge. If we are all to be qualified to rise to the climate change challenges before us in this province, we must do it as true partners. First Nations know how to act immediately to protect their Peoples because we have always been here to stay. On forestry law, we are beyond the “war in the woods” with First Nations and environmentalists on one side, and Crown and industry on the other. First Nations are empowered economic participants in the forestry industry; they have negotiated a variety of shared decision-making models and stand alone in Canada as revenue-sharing parties. Consultation obligations were the impetus for this progress. Now, an era of mutual consent for: (1) all governmental approvals and (2) all First Nations-industry relationships must map the next generation of change. B.C. must make it a legal requirement to have an impact benefit agreement between forestry companies and First Nations. The Crown must not continue to approve tenures and licenses, or make other strategic decisions in forestry regulation, without mutual consent. Because this is such a substantive topic, it may be worthy of an Indigenous/Royal Commission on forests. Mineral tenure reform was a late addition to the Action Plan. It may be a response to the Gitxaaxla Nation’s judicial challenge that is arguing that the online tenure claim process breaches the duty to consult and is not consistent with UNDRIP. Mining in B.C. is highly vulnerable to legal uncertainty and B.C. must act smartly and swiftly if we are going to avoid an investment exodus. Personally, I think there is a real necessity to bring the most affected right holders and stakeholders together to find solutions. First Nations that have proposed or have active exploration and mining, as well as established and prospective proponents, have real and tangible rights at stake. The model of technical expert
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Merle Alexander is a member and Hereditary Chief of Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation, and principal of the Indigenous Law Group at Miller Titerle + Co • SUBMITTED
panels that create legal reform will be appealing. The most important aspect is that First Nations be viewed as partners to this process. We are partners in impact benefit agreements, and partners in government-to-government agreements — we must be co-drafters of mining reform. So it is in this vein that I accept the Action Plan as an extraordinary concrete beginning. No other jurisdiction in Canada or internationally is committing to this degree of UNDRIP implementation. I see the Action Plan as the foothold for tremendous legal reform and truth telling. I believe in the powerful advocacy of First Nations leadership. I know we are relentless diplomats and negotiators, and that we achieve great things. É Merle Alexander is a member and hereditary chief of Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation on the mid-coast of British Columbia. He is principal of the Indigenous Law Group at Miller Titerle + Co.
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THE WORLD NEEDS INDIGENOUS WORLDVIEWS Indigenous Knowledge should be applied to prevent effects of climate change
CHIEF JOE ALPHONSE
W hat can businesses gain by building partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and communities? I have long advocated that these partnerships must be equal and meaningful, relying on the core fou ndation of a n u nderstanding of perspectives and worldviews. “I see where you are coming from,” is often said — but is it true? Let’s take climate change, for example. In order to understand the implications of climate change on Indigenous Peoples, business must first understand the reality that Indigenous Peoples are faced with. We are T ilhqot’in People, which means People of the River. The rivers that flow through our territory have supported our people for centuries. The annual migration of salmon was so predictable to our people that we knew, to the day, when to be on the rivers to dipnet and collect fish for smoking or drying. The implications even today of not having salmon stored in our homes or freezers are devastating. It means that we must turn to other sources of food, like deer and moose. If the opportunity to hunt is not available, we must buy meat in the grocery store. With ongoing inflation rates and food prices — this has never been affordable for the T ilhqot’in People. My community alone has a Community Well-Being index of 51 out of 100, while the regional district surrounding it is at 72 (according to the 2016 census). Less food in the rivers and lands means increased poverty for our people. Increased poverty means increased social and cultural issues. A threat to salmon is a direct threat to the well-being of our people. A reality without salmon seemed nearly impossible 30 years ago. However, layering climate change on top of already stressed species will have irreparable impacts. Warmer river temperatures mean less oxygen for the
salmon in a time when they are migrating. An increase in wildfires means an increase in floods, which send sediment into waterways, cementing over spawning grounds. And the list goes on. As T ilhqot’in, we have long known that every part of a resource must have a use. When an animal is used for food, all parts of the animal are used, from the bones to the hide to the meat. We do not have the problem of animal waste because we have uses for all the parts. For millennia, the Tsilhqot’in tradition has been to honour the Spirit of the living beings that have given up their lives so that Tsilhqot’in People can survive and thrive through the generations. In order to honour the Spirits of the animals, we use every part of them, as well as apply our traditional values of only taking what we need. So, what is it that businesses can gain by building partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and communities? Businesses can gain an increased level of understanding of the Indigenous worldviews, and ways of being and knowing. This can lead to out-of-the-box thinking and innovative solutions that can provide the competitive edge that businesses so often seek out. In order to prevent catastrophic damage from climate change, Indigenous Knowledge needs to be applied to the solutions put forward by industry and businesses. For too long, Indigenous Peoples and our knowledge systems have been intentionally left out and in some cases legislated out from the mainstream. I believe that we are all feeling the impacts of this, and the evidence is the global climate emergency that is facing us all. Industry and businesses have the opportunity to step up to the plate and show some leadership by creating meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and communities, and include their knowledge systems in their lines of business. The time is now. É Nits’il in (Chief) Joe Alphonse, O.B.C., is Tribal Chair of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government.
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, BUSINESS MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THE REALITY THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE FACED WITH
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Photo of Musqueam foreshore, by Barbershop Films
Building meaningful relationships towards a strong and shared future The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is working to create meaningful and long-term relationships with Indigenous communities whose traditional territories and treaty lands intersect the lands and waters of the Port of Vancouver. In 2021, we were pleased to sign two historic relationship agreements with the Musqueam Indian Band and Tsawwassen First Nation. Building relationships with Indigenous communities is not only part of our federal mandate, it allows us to learn from their expertise, giving us a more holistic view of port lands and waters. This expertise can assist us in managing projects more HIÞFLHQWO\ DQG WDUJHWLQJ SURMHFWV WKDW ,QGLJHQRXV FRPPXQLWLHV DOVR YLHZ DV D SULRULW\ Learn more at portvancouver.com/indigenous-relations
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Q&A NATIONAL CHIEF
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Opportunities for municipalities and Indigenous communities to build meaningful partnerships
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CATHERINE LAFFERTY
T
he Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action 92 is directly aimed at the business sector. It reads: “We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous Peoples and their lands and resources.”
Before the TRC was created in 2015, the 2010 Winter Olympics that took place on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil Wau-tuth, and Lil’Wat nations is considered a legacy event that marked a new way to work with local Indigenous nations and highlight local Indigenous talent. It was a prime example of municipalities and local nations working together to put on one of the largest events in the world. This would not have been successful without the blessing of local Indigenous nations. As a result of this collaboration, many great ventures transpired long after the games were held, including a First Nations snowboarding association with the mandate of empowering Indigenous youth in their efforts to compete at an elite level. This came from the relationship and capacity building work that took place behind the scenes at the Olympics between local nations and municipalities from Vancouver to Whistler. The Olympics also prompted the expansion of Indigenous markets, like outdoor adventure tourism, with great emphasis placed on land-based teachings led by local Indigenous Knowledge keepers who know and respect the area they are from. This is unlike some other tourist operations that may skip past significant historical landmarks or try teaching local Indigenous Knowledge systems that are not their own — a form of cultural appropriation. Talaysay Tours is a great example of how best to operate an Indigenous eco-tourism business. Talaysay Tours, a fully Indigenous-owned-andoperated company, provides guided visits of Stanley Park in the heart of Vancouver. Although the park is now considered a regional green space within the district of Metro Vancouver, it is still very much on the territory of Squamish Peoples. A Talaysay guided tour will explain this to tourists, and include the history of the Squamish Peoples, and how food of the
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A light display depicting a moose by the Port of Vancouver • SUBMITTED
forest floor was once fully utilized for medicinal purposes and building materials. Although not necessary, these tours come with local municipal endorsement. Over on Vancouver Island, the Songhees Nation and the municipality of Victoria are working together to make great strides on many aspects of reconciliation, including in a new real estate plan. Homeowners in the City of Victoria
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RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
might soon be given the choice to voluntarily donate up to 10% of their annual property tax to a reconciliation fund, which would go to local Indigenous nations. This is a unique way for municipalities and allies alike to contribute to the land back movement. As climate change catastrophes abound and temperatures continue to rise, there is no time to waste on the evidence-based global warming emergency, and this work is best led by Indigenous Peoples, who have long been protectors of the natural environment. They collectively control 20% of Canada’s land base, according to Indigenomics, which equals 15 million hectares. Another 45 million hectares of untouched, pristine terrain is controlled by Inuit, and can be utilized for green energy innovations, instead of oil and gas extraction. Yet there is still hesitation from municipalities, governments and corporations to meet Indigenous Peoples on equal ground. This challenges the ability to move forward on lowering carbon emissions in B.C. and across Canada. There has to be a sharing of wealth and not all corporations are willing to let go of the reigns. Although not in B.C., the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow Yukon Territory have single handedly forced the local government to the negotiation table. They have since become their own independent power producer, and have successfully sold solar energy. They are now exploring intermittent biomass energy from harvesting seasonal willow in a sustainable manner and commissioning it back to the local utility in the amount of approximately $400,000 per year. This then feeds directly back into the First Nation's fly-in community of less than 300 people to support health, education and safety programs, and the establishment of local employment. Now is the time to seek out solid partnerships and investment with Indigenous businesses. If municipalities don’t come forward to try and build good working relationships with the Indigenous nations whose lands they occupy, they will miss key opportunities. Carol Anne Hilton, founder of the Indigenomics Institute, explains how important it is now for governments, municipalities, businesses and non-profits to take a seat beside Indigenous Peoples at the economic table. “Through the rise of Indigenous economic empowerment, this power shift in the economic landscape is shaping the future of this country. The way forward must build understanding and awareness, supporting the development of new economic and financial tools and structures for stronger economic outcomes. This is modern Indigenous economic design,” Hilton writes in Indigenomics. This power shift removes the victim narrative of Indigenous nations, and instead allows nations and communities to come out of hundreds of years of colonization to a more positive, healthy reality that is based on respect for the environment and society as a collective, explains Hilton. Municipalities partnering with First Nations is a win-win. For Indigenous businesses, municipal partnerships can contribute to a future that is mutually respectful by incorporating Indigenous values
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A wintery road on Songhees First Nation territory • SUBMITTED
and principles in the creation of a diverse and robust economy — one that centres reciprocity, responsible progress and forward-thinking development that puts the health of future generations first. For a municipality, partnering with an Indigenous business is an opportunity to make Canada a model of how to conduct business in a respectful and engaging way. Partnership can also build confidence in investors looking to develop on lands that aren't in question or subject to controversy or uncertainty. Agreement between municipalities and Indigenous nations about what should occur in shared communities should be leading the way forward. É Catherine Lafferty is a northern Indigenous freelancer and author.
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WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR PARKING LOT? Reconnecting and reflecting after COVID-19
RACELLE KOOY
As we navigate stepping out into the world after more than two years of relative isolation, I wonder about the state of my parking lot, and yours too. I am referring to a parking lot in the context of how I use it as a facilitator, as a catchment tool for managing extraneous ideas and activities that come up in strategic planning. Recently, executive coach Amrita Ahuja introduced me to the concept of parking personal and professional ideas, goals and activities. She encouraged us to revisit our parking lots regularly to see what parked items could be woven or reintegrated into our daily lives. As we forge back out into the demands of face-to-face interactions, I invite Indigenous readers to check in: how are you making time for the unwieldy aspects of being in connection with your lineage? Like me, do you have an intention to connect to ancestral practices, yet find yourself missing out on opportunities? These practices, such as plant medicine gathering, fish processing, hunting preparation and time on the land, remind us of who we are, who came before us and who is yet to come. The cowboy coffee around the campfire or fresh off the camp stove, the little moments of observing the seasonal round beyond the big picture of “Are the salmon running?” and “Is the sage
ready to pick?” are equally enriching. From what I have witnessed, taking time to connect with the lands, waters, plants, animals and people of your homelands may not be the most comfortable thing to do. Whether moving through the awkwardness of reconnecting to lost family lines, or leaving the coziness of home, chances are these small sacrifices will be worth it as they leave you feeling more grounded to your sense of purpose. Also, in the deep snows (or rains) of winter, that bit of harvested goodness will provide a visceral connection to time-immemorial practices. We are stronger for it. For non-Indigenous readers, understand that with each season, your Indigenous colleagues, business associates and friends may need to extend a weekend to take advantage of the seasonal round. Salmon have their own schedule, as do ripening berries. Your understanding will encourage us to make time for these activities. Why not also take some time to reflect on what aspects of your personal life help you connect to the lands you reside in, and what ways you would enjoy observing the seasonal round? If you are looking for some further insight, I invite you to read the piece I wrote about salmon for the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. I hope that your personal and professional parking lots will be full of movement. É Of Secwepemc and St’atl’imc ancestry, and a member of Samahquam First Nation, Racelle Kooy is dedicated to amplifying the voices and respectful representation of Indigenous Peoples in the world at large.
WHY NOT ALSO TAKE SOME TIME TO REFLECT ON WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR PERSONAL LIFE HELP YOU CONNECT TO THE LANDS YOU RESIDE IN AND WHAT WAYS YOU WOULD ENJOY OBSERVING THE SEASONAL ROUND?
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BRINGING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION TO B.C. HEALTH SYSTEMS Indigenous health equity is essential to supporting a future of Indigenous leadership
BRITTANY BINGHAM
T he development of successful Indigenous leadership and workforces is dependent on an informed Indigenous recruitment and retention strategy. The success of such a strategy is dependent on a movement towards health and social equity at a societal level, and on breaking down barriers that have been stacked up for Indigenous Peoples over hundreds of years under a colonial agenda. Striving to increase Indigenous recruitment and retention in any organization requires a deeper understanding of the lasting impact of colonialism, intergenerational trauma and how past and current experiences of racism and discrimination are experienced. Over the past few years, Indigenous Peoples have experienced a constant onslaught of the realities of these inequities: the devastating uncovering of thousands of unmarked graves outside residential schools across Canada; the opiate crisis; violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people; and many more examples, all nestled within a global pandemic. The stark reality is that these events ripple out to have an impact on every Indigenous person, family and community. This has a profound impact on the wellness of the Indigenous workforce. Workplace equity efforts and initiatives can fall flat when the complex and current reality of intergenerational trauma is not considered, and it is essential that workplaces are intentionally informed. The population of Indigenous Peoples across B.C. is growing fast and is predominantly young, posing a significant opportunity for developing the next generation of Indigenous leaders. Indigenous Peoples are needed in all areas of the workforce, especially in leadership positions. But significant efforts still need to be made to pave that path and support Indigenous wellness in the face of systemic racism. My work involves conducting research that informs health system transformation, and I believe that improving our health systems plays an integral role in supporting Indigenous equity in the workforce across all sectors. Healthy, well and thriving Indigenous Peoples, communities and families will help bring more Indigenous voices to leadership tables.
Health system transformation is driven by pivotal and keystone documents, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ National Action Plan. In 2020, an independent review was commissioned by the B.C. Ministry of Health in response to claims that health workers at some B.C. emergency departments were allegedly guessing blood alcohol levels of Indigenous patients in a Price-is-Rightstyle game. Although the review did not find significant evidence of this, disturbing evidence of widespread racism experienced by Indigenous Peoples in B.C.’s healthcare system was documented, and included stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice, which in turn carried a range of negative impacts, including death. The In Plain Sight report validated what we as Indigenous Peoples already knew, as cases like that of Brian Sinclair and Joyce Echaquan are forever part of our collective consciousness. It is known that racism can turn deadly. The review specifically called for B.C. health authorities, universities and colleges to recruit Indigenous individuals to senior positions to promote systemic change. When Indigenous Peoples are at the helm of organizational shifts, they can apply their experiential knowledge of the complex realities and impacts of colonialism to the disruption of the status quo. Building a thriving Indigenous workforce and supporting Indigenous leadership is not only essential to businesses and industries across B.C., but pivotal in healthcare as a tool for health equity, justice and reconciliation. Indigenous patients seeing themselves represented across all aspects of healthcare — from leadership to frontline staff — is essential to delivering culturally safe care. The next generation of Indigenous leaders are ready to thrive in workforces across all industries, but it is up to current leaders to build systems that are inclusive, informed and supportive; that allow Indigenous Peoples to thrive after generations of systemic barriers. É Dr. Brittany Bingham is a proud member of the Shishalh Nation, director of Indigenous research at Vancouver Coastal Health and the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, and an assistant professor in social medicine at the University of British Columbia.
BUILDING A THRIVING INDIGENOUS WORKFORCE AND SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP IS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL TO BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES ACROSS B.C., BUT PIVOTAL IN HEALTHCARE AS A TOOL FOR HEALTH EQUITY, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION
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INDIGENOUS IDENTITY The power and privilege of being Indigenous
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VICKI GEORGE, AMBER BEDARD, SOFIA VITALIS AND KIM VAN DER WOERD
S
ince settlers came to Canada, Indigenous identities have been confronted, challenged and co-opted in order to assert claim, right and dominance over original peoples, who have been stewards of the land since time immemorial.
Canada often stands by the narrative that it was a new nation, built on notions of prosperity, plurality and inclusivity; but our history demonstrates dispossession, and the taking of Indigenous land, body and identity. As the late Indigenous activist Sarah Robinson asserted, post-contact interactions between Indigenous Peoples and settlers in Canada were premised on Euro-Christian judgements and assumptions about the roles and identity of men and women. Robinson noted that, “the subjective has become truth, or what is perceived to be truth goes on to shape an emerging country’s ideology, institutions, legislation and the future.” These assumptions and narratives form the building blocks of policy and law that have silenced and subverted Indigenous identities into something that is palatable, consumable, extractable or erased entirely. This historical legacy continues today in public and private domain — we see the impact of these assumptions in workplaces, academia, institutions, on the street and in our own personal lives. We see this in reporting and research. Heather Krause at We all Count notes: “Without a direct relationship with the people of whose identity data you are collecting, we are replicating extraction, and likely oppression.... To use a set of names or categories that are developed by people without Indigenous heritage, is a continued co-opting of Indigenous identity.” Identity, and assumptions about identity, are complex and complicated, and there is not one clear path to navigate these tensions. Recognizing the complexity and diversity of Indigenous Peoples, identity looks different to each nation and individual. Simply, identity is who and what a person or thing is. Yet identity is deeply personal and there can be trauma and barriers attached to identifying as one way or another. Throughout history, Indigenous identity has been used as a commodity to tokenize, to divide, to misinterpret or reinterpret. Prior to contact, Indigenous Peoples tied their identity to land, cultural beliefs, kinship, water, animals and all creation. Settlers based identity on who they considered human and worthy of taking up space, often defined through patriarchy. This worldview results in an entirely different interpretation of what ‘land’ is and the relationship it should have with human beings. For Indigenous Peoples, identity has been highly visible within colonial systems, where the identity of whiteness has been conveniently invisible. An example of this is the implementation of “Indian Status,” which the Canadian government uses as a tool to classify, categorize and unilaterally decide who is legally “Indian” and who is
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Kim van der Woerd is principal of Reciprocal Consulting Inc. • ASHLEY DRODY
not, according to Indigenous Foundations. This hyper visibility leads to othering and the further exploitation of identity by settler Canada. For Indigenous Peoples, the ability to assert who we are has been taken away with colonialism and with the imposition of Eurocentric value and belief systems. We see this in many forms, like the changing of our names and the names of places if they could not be pronounced easily by the English and French tongue. The right to rename, extract and take away identity was premised on the need to assert and uphold dominance. The continued colonial need to civilize and tame was transmuted into structures
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A photo taken by lawyer and advocate Jeffrey Nicholls, a columnist in this issue of Mákook pi Sélim • JEFFREY NICHOLLS
and oppressive systems. This can most tangibly be understood through the intricate web of policy and law created by the Indian Act. THE INDIAN ACT
Since 1876, the Indian Act has divided and controlled Indigenous Peoples’ identities. Section 2(1) states that “Indian means a person who pursuant to the act is registered as an Indian or is entitled to be registered as an Indian.” The government sets out its requirements for “Indians” to prove their “Indianness.” There is no piece of legislation that similarly controls the identity of any other group of peoples in Canada. The Indian Act continues to divide Indigenous Peoples with colonial labels: Indian, Status Indian, Non-Status Indian, On-Reserve Indian, Off-reserve Indian, Indigenous, First Nations and Native people. The resulting division has manifested in many forms, including who has access to funding for healthcare and education, and who can live on reserve or in designated housing. The Indian Act has had multifaceted impacts on Indigenous identity by dividing nations’ and
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communities’ identity through Indian Bands, which include a chief and council. Indigenous Peoples had their own laws and governance systems in place prior to European contact. Some are referred to as hereditary systems, unique to their respective identities. Today, Indian Act systems and hereditary systems are divided regarding land and governance. T he I nd ia n Act has resu lted i n d iv ision amongst many Indigenous Peoples, nations and communities. The colonial damage extends to many Indigenous Peoples losing their “Indian” identity via legislation. The Indian Act was meant to assimilate Indigenous Peoples and rid them of their identity. It allowed colonizers and European settlers to remove Indians from their lands, and it laid the groundwork for colonial rule. Sadly, this reality continues today. As we have seen in recent news regarding unmarked gravesites at Indian Residential Schools, Canada is finally beginning to face its truthful legacy of genocide. To complicate colonial labels further, section 35 of the constitution uses the colonial phrase Aboriginal peoples of Canada to refer to Indians,
RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY AND DIVERSITY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, IDENTITY LOOKS DIFFERENT TO EACH NATION AND INDIVIDUAL
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INDIGENOUS IDENTITY
Metis and Inuit. Today, Canada has begun incorporating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which uses the term Indigenous. EVOLUTION OF INDIGENOUS IDENTITY
Understanding this history allows us to fully understand the evolution of Indigenous identities, and the naming and renaming of those identities. We were called many things — “Savages,” “Indians,” “Injuns,” “Natives,” “Status,” “Non-status,” “Aboriginals” and now “Indigenous.” These names have been used as blanket terms to describe masses, and not through how we prefer to identify — through our own familial lines and nationhoods. This systemic pattern of naming and renaming has not afforded Indigenous Peoples equity. We enter spaces and systems at a disadvantage — of having to explain and defend who we are and our inherent rights (something white people do not have to do). This continues with the co-opting of Indigenous identity, with others speaking on behalf of or taking up space that should belong to Indigenous Peoples. Today, we see this manifesting through “Pretendians:" people who falsely claim Indigenous heritage and ancestry. Today, there are non-Indigenous people in a number of sectors who use Indigenous identity for personal gain. This has impacted Indigenous Peoples, communities, institutions and businesses. TOP:
Sofia Vitalis works with
Reciprocal Consulting Inc. • SUBMITTED
BELOW:
PRETENDIAN DAMAGE CONTROL
Through co-opting Indigenous identity, "Pretendians" take space, jobs, tenure positions, income, awards and funding from Indigenous Peoples. They
have done this without the lived experiences of colonization, genocide and racism. They pretend that they know how Indigenous Peoples think and feel, with little to no consequence. They have earned the trust of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. They are frauds. They have set a bar of what success is for Indigenous Peoples, without the reality of lived experience, according to Ginger Gosnell-Myers, an Indigenous fellow at Simon Fraser University's Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue. "Pretendians" work with leaders and communities. They have been trusted with Indigenous creation stories, ways of knowing and being and research. When a "Pretendian" is discovered, the fallout with Indigenous Peoples and communities results in further colonial pain, trauma and injustice. Indigenous Peoples and leaders in Canada are in the early stages of exploring ways to mitigate the damage caused by these experiences, and are trying to find appropriate mechanisms and processes for identifying and resolving issues around the misuse of Indigenous identity. Indigenous leaders are clear in their conclusion — Indigenous Peoples must identify the process and path forward. As Robinson put it: “If the truth about stories is that's all we are, every person is a character and an author in the chapter that we are sitting in. If our stories become history and we are history, then we can help make it better.” É Vicki George is associate director of the office of Indigenous strategic initiatives at the University of British Columbia. Amber Bedard, Sofia Vitalis and Kim van der Woerd are from Reciprocal Consulting Inc.
Heather Krause is the founder
of We All Count • SUBMITTED
THEY PRETEND THAT THEY KNOW HOW INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THINK AND FEEL, WITH LITTLE TO NO CONSEQUENCE. THEY HAVE EARNED THE TRUST OF BOTH INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. THEY ARE FRAUDS
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CULTURE BEHIND GLASS Reflecting on the issue of museums, Indigenous artefacts and repatriation
Totem poles on display inside the Victoria-based Royal BC Museum • SUBMITTED
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Totem Hall is the central exhibit in the Royal BC Museum's First Peoples gallery • ROYAL BC MUSEUM
ALISON TEDFORD
W
hat is the value of the custom of keeping culture behind glass and who does it serve? These are important questions. According to the Government of Canada’s Survey of Heritage Institutions, there were 9.5 million visits to B.C. museums in 2017. Nationally, more than 872,000 people had memberships to museums. There are nearly 310,000 cultural artefacts and 1,176 ancestral remains in B.C.-based heritage institutions, and 26% of Canadian heritage institutions report that they house Indigenous cultural artefacts. The federal report indicated a 5.9% profit margin for B.C. museums in 2017, but the pandemic brought closures and travel restrictions that created a need for government assistance in maintaining essential services, and to support reopening when restrictions lifted. Even pre-pandemic, museum revenue didn’t just come from visitors — it also came from government funding and grants. Recently announced plans to close the Royal BC Museum in Victoria for seven years have sparked debate. In a Times Colonist op-ed published earlier this year, Melanie Mark — B.C. minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport — spoke to how the museum facilities were at the end of their useful life, seismically unsound and at risk in the event of disaster. Combined with the presence of asbestos and gaps in accessibility, the province plans to replace the facility, which has been in use since 1967
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but has not been upgraded, renovated or significantly repaired. Much of the debate has centred on the role and value of museums, what they should house and what they should return. Repatriation is far from a new concept, but in examining whether museums should be funded and whether they should exist, what happens to the items is up for discussion. Beyond the specific issue of the Royal BC Museum, in a time of reconciliation, there is value in addressing the complicated history of heritage institutions and how items got to be in them in the first place. There is also a need to consider the challenges that may exist in returning these items. The Royal BC Museum’s service plan for 2021-22 speaks to the fact that “this work requires careful and often lengthy consultation, the development of mutual trust and adequate funding for staff and technical support. Repatriation requests are always honoured, but, for varied and often complex reasons, these requests often take many years to reach fruition.” The complexities of repatriation aren’t unique to the Royal BC Museum.
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“The need for resources is there for all participants within repatriation. The work that is required on the parts of families to bring pieces home and to do it in a good way, the protocols that need to be followed and all that that entails, that requires resourcing,” explains the Museum of Anthropology’s director Susan Rowley. “Of course, museums are always under-resourced, but I think there's an imbalance there that I would say communities and individuals are less resourced than museums are.” Rowley says the repatriation process is part of a larger opportunity for relationship building, along with collection access and loans. “A really important aspect of that is looking at the building of relationships, and in some cases, the continuation of long standing relationships, redressing historical wrongs, looking at things through a different perspective, challenging the museum as an institution to look at its colonial history and to rethink who we are, to be proactive about changing so that we are working with community, looking and talking to community about community needs and desires and ways that the museum can be in service of community,” she says. Karen Aird is the founder of Indigenous Heritage Circle, has been on the board of the Royal BC Museum and has worked with the Museum of History. She says that repatriation and related work is often
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undertaken by community volunteers, and that there’s a lack of consistent, stable funding to support the process. Aird points to the work of Indigenous Knowledge keepers who have cultural responsibilities to those who have passed on and how their work needs support, too. She also says import and export laws need to be changed to facilitate the return of cultural items. “The work for repatriation has to also support Indigenous law and protocol, and the articulation of it and communities’ decision making around it,” Aird says. The process of repatriation, Aird says, “should be done in the way that communities want to do it. I don't think it should be a process that's imposed upon people. Some of the timelines and the slim funding that you get for it is an incredible barrier.” In looking at the custom of culture behind glass, we have an opportunity to see our own reflection, and take a long look at our relationships with cultural institutions, with communities, with the responsibility to honour community wishes and the duty to protect what is being displayed. É Alison Tedford is an Indigenous freelance writer and marketing consultant from Abbotsford.
ABOVE: Karen Aird is the founder of Indigenous Heritage Circle, and a former board member of the Royal BC Museum • SUBMITTED
A totem pole created by Tsawout First Nation artists Tom and Perry LaFortune for the Royal BC Museum in 2018 • PROVINCE OF TOP LEFT:
BC/FLICKR
TOP RIGHT: The existing Royal BC Museum is due for an upgrade • PROVINCE OF BC/FLICKR
BOTTOM LEFT: The museum has thousands of objects and artefacts related to First Nations history and culture • PROVINCE OF BC/FLICKR
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EYES ON THE HORIZON The evolving Indigenous economy in B.C.
CAROL ANNE HILTON
We are in a time of increasing Indigenous economic empowerment. Recent advances in the Indigenous economic ecosystem allow new insights into the emerging trends that are fundamental to the significant shift in the foundation of the Indigenous economy in B.C. This past year saw the Blueberry River First Nation win a precedent-setting case, which determined that the B.C. government had breached the Nation’s historical and current treaty rights by permitting and encouraging widespread resource extraction. Hitting right in the heart of cumulative impacts, this case has opened the door for increased government responsibility in addressing treaty rights, and in the management of future cumulative impacts on nations and their territories, not just in B.C. but across Canada. In 2016, the Blueberry River First Nation had identified that up to 73% of the Nation’s traditional territory was within 250 meters of an industrial disruption. This court case successfully connected the dots between ongoing industrial activity — such as forestry, mining, hydroelectric dams and fracking — and multiple layers of impacts on the landscape, including compounding changes to ecosystems, wildlife and ways of life to the Blueberry People. While this case was won in B.C., its implications are far reaching across Canada, and it points to a new narrative in government policy and approaches. It is not business as usual. Without appealing, B.C. has committed $65 million for the restoration of habitat and cultural use of the Blueberry River First Nation's territory. This case sets in motion a provincial overhaul of regulations and practices that do not uphold treaty rights or manage cumulative impacts for the long term. Next in development is B.C.’s second title case with the Nuchatlaht Nation on Vancouver Island. This case is led by the Nation’s hereditary leader, Walter Michael, who is the
holder of the highest traditional governance seat, with an unbroken lineage that dates back to a time before Canada or B.C. existed. In this case, the Nuchatlaht People describe how their territory’s land and aquatic resources have been managed and protected by a traditional governance system, with a continuous, sustainable management cycle of protecting the land and resources that have sustained the Nuchatlaht People for thousands of years. This system was interrupted when industrial systems were implemented by B.C. and Canada over the last 155 years. The Nation describes how this external regulation has served to enrich corporations and sectors, but has adversely affected Nuchatlaht’s access and responsibility to sacred land and food sources and ways of life, with very few benefits for the Nuchatlaht People. This case addresses the economic implications of land title — Nuchatlaht People are taking up their seat at the economic table of this province and country. As a third example, on March 30, 2022, B.C. released a much-anticipated action plan for implementing the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). DRIPA serves as a legal structure to implement the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The DRIPA Action Plan was developed in consultation with Indigenous communities and serves to outline 89 specific action items that provincial ministries will be responsible for implementing from 2022 to 2027. The plan reflects on four core themes to the implementation of DRIPA: self-determination and inherent right of self-government; title and rights of Indigenous Peoples; ending Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination; and social, cultural and economic well-being. The intention of this plan is to ensure local governments are prepared to participate in the critical implementation action items and to facilitate reconciliation with Indigenous communities and organizations. Again, with the implementation of DRIPA into law, it is time to advance our collective discussions and leadership in reconciliation.
THIS IS THE CHANGED DYNAMIC OF INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT — RESOURCES DO NOT GET TO MARKET WITHOUT INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION
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DRIPA ACTION PLAN
89
What needs to be paid attention to is this visible rise of Indigenous economic power. By example, the Squamish Nation in Vancouver has initiated a multi-billion-dollar real estate development on reserve lands in Vancouver. The project is referred to as Sen á w and consists of the development of 11 towers that will establish 6,000 housing units — including hundreds of units for Squamish Nation citizens. It is important to recognize that the 11 tower units will forever change Vancouver’s skyline as we know it today. From the establishment of the Indian Act in 1867 to the Squamish Nation becoming the largest developer and land owner in the City of Vancouver in 2022, a simple truth to build from is ‘we are a powerful people.’ Finally, a recent news story identifies a B.C. First Nation and partners developing a new $10 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) megaproject that aims to be the largest net-zero LNG export facility in world. This is the changed dynamic of Indigenous economic empowerment — resources do not get to market without Indigenous participation. It is in developments like these that we see a changing story, where overcoming barriers to accessing capital and where equity ownership are driving the narrative that Indigenous Peoples are economic powerhouses. These examples provide insight into the rapidly changing dimensions of the rise of Indigenous economic empowerment. Every day, the story of Indigenous economic empowerment comes into our awareness with an ongoing media narrative of inclusion, reconciliation, and empowerment. It is time to get ready for the emerging $100 billion Indigenous economy, and to think through what that means in a B.C. context. É Carol Anne Hilton, MBA, is CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute.
IT IS IN DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THESE THAT WE SEE A CHANGING STORY, WHERE OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING CAPITAL AND WHERE EQUITY OWNERSHIP ARE DRIVING THE NARRATIVE THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE ECONOMIC POWERHOUSES
The provincial government will undertake 89 actions to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
5
Actions will be taken over five years, between 2022 and 2027
4
All actions span four themes: Self-determination and inherent right of self-government Title and rights of Indigenous Peoples Ending Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination Social, cultural and economic well-being
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS 50,000+
65%
Indigenous businesses
of Indigenous business
across the country
owners rely on personal
$30 BILLION
savings to start a new
The Indigenous
business
contribution to the
19%
national economy
of Indigenous business
exceeds $30 billion
owners rely on bank loans
annually
and credit to start a new
24%
business
Nearly a quarter of
40%
Indigenous small and
More than four in 10 self-
medium-sized enterprises
employed Indigenous
(SMEs) export
people are women
1.4% A fraction of Canadian SMEs are Indigenous majority owned
SOURCES: DRIPA ACTION PLAN, PROVINCE OF BC (2022); FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA (2020); WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOW-
PHOTO: JEFFREY NICHOLLS
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