It is no secret that the Canadian oil and gas industry has been under significant pressure in 2020. Indigenous people and communities, having greatly expanded their role in the sector over the past 20 years, have felt the pain and dislocation. At the same time, Indigenous business, governments and communities continue to push for greater involvement, up to and including potential ownership of the TransMoutain Pipeline and the promotion of several new large energy infrastructure projects.
This webinar, part of MLI’s long-standing initiative on Indigenous peoples and the natural resource economy, focused on the future of Indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry. It brought together leading Indigenous commentators and participants, inviting them to reflect on the current barriers to further engagement with the industry, and to comment on the prospects for an even more substantial role for Indigenous business, governments and peoples.
Speakers
- Mark Podlasly, Director of Economic Policy and Initiatives for the First Nations Major Projects Coalition; Member of Cooks Ferry First Nation
- Crystal Smith, Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation Council
- Delbert Wapass, Founder of Project Reconciliation, former Chief of Thunderchild First Nation
- Ken Coates, Munk Senior Fellow in Aboriginal and Northern Canadian Issues, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
