By Alliance CEO Karen Ogen
In just a few days, G7 leaders will gather in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. With ongoing tariff threats and actions and geopolitical instability, it is the perfect backdrop to highlight lower-emission Canadian energy, Indigenous ownership and leadership, and reconciliaction.
On June 12, I joined colleagues Crystal Smith (Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation), Andrew Robinson (CEO, Nisga’a Lisims Government) and Shannon Joseph (Chair, Energy for a Secure Future) for a panel discussion at the Global Energy Show in Calgary — all about reconciliaction.
That was more than a compelling title to bring people in – which it did – as this term describes how we want to lift up our people across Canada. This is an active, forward-looking endeavour.
Most recently, reconciliaction was demonstrated with the BC government’s substantial-start decision on the Nisga’a Nation’s PRGT natural-gas pipeline project, which, once built, will feed the Nisga’a Nation’s net-zero Ksi Lisims LNG facility.
As noted by the Nisga’a CEO, the project isn’t about one Nation, but about bringing long-term benefits across northwestern BC and beyond. That’s true, too, of the Haisla Nation’s Cedar LNG project.
Each regulatory decision and each final investment decision leads to action, to momentum. I commend Indigenous leaders for creating that change and creating that momentum.
On the panel, Chief Crystal commented on a mistaken perception that still exists internationally, that Indigenous communities in Canada are always in opposition to development.
Her message: “Indigenous people are not the problem as being presented to the world. We’re not a problem. We’re actually the solution.”
Our message to the international community as the G7 gathers in Alberta: Canada is open for business, with strong support, leadership and ownership by Indigenous peoples.
The strong sense of Canadian nationalism in the face of U.S. threats is felt across many First Nations and has galvanized support for major projects.
First Nations are writing the roadmap to clean-energy prosperity, a roadmap to owning our future.
The direct route for low-carbon Canadian natural gas and LNG to Asia is through Canada, from Treaty 8 territory to the Coast.
This is reconciliaction.
(Posted here 13 June 2025)
