The Public Policy Forum presented Crystal Smith (elected chief councillor of the Haisla Nation and chair of our Alliance) with its Testimonial Dinner 2025 Award in recognition of her leadership in the energy sector. Here are points from her acceptance speech on April 24, including her call for Indigenous ownership and partnership in resource projects. …
By Karen Ogen, CEO, First Nations Natural Gas Alliance The Nisga’a Final Agreement, negotiated between the Nisga’a Nation, British Columbia and Canada, was the first modern treaty in B.C. Now, 25 years on, the treaty stands not only as a landmark of Indigenous self-determination but as a model for how reconciliation can be meaningfully pursued. …
LNG Canada’s $40-billion plant is but weeks away from shipping its first export cargo. The destination has not been named, but the plant near Kitimat is in final testing stages, having imported a cargo of Australian LNG to run through the facility and cool it in preparation for the launch. LNG Canada can produce up …
Some First Nations leaders have successfully put heat on Ottawa to speed up Bill C-15, Canada’s UNDRIP legislation. The government responded by putting a time limit on the first round of Commons debate on the bill, in order to move it along to a Commons committee for further scrutiny. Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the …
Mark Podlasly of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition has been making the news as a champion for the rightful role of First Nations in the “mainstream economy.” To begin with, he says, they need access to capital to invest in projects in their territories, and to build true equity partnerships with resource developers. “Ottawa …
