This paper is a declaration for leaders to engage in ongoing and edifying activism in the form of Indigenous advocacy. Due to the unjust generational trauma of Indigenous peoples, this work promotes Indigenous authorship, participation, and empowerment, specifically in negotiated land agreements, commonly known as Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs). Red Pine Economic Development Corporation (EDC) (pseudonym), a for-profit Indigenous organization owned by Red Pine First Nation, holds two IBAs that lack Indigenous participation, voice, and culture. To address this omission, this paper provides direction to Red Pine EDC to redraft a more fulsome cultural chapter of the IBA, involving Indigenous leadership in the form of an Indigenous-led Advisory Council (IAC). The cultural chapter will be a culmination of Indigenous sovereignty practices, language reclamation, and decolonization methodologies.
This paper focuses on historic preservation connecting the past and future of Indigenous peoples by discussing the discriminatory history of Indigenous peoples in Canada and encouraging reconciliation, which is not a “one-size-fits all” solution to colonial trauma; rather, it is a practice that is unique to each nation (Peters, 2019). This paper directly relates to the theme “Community Currents: Navigating Change Together”, as this work focuses on the needs of Red Pine First Nation members. Community development as highlighted in the conference theme, is achieved when different forces converge. This principle is echoed in this paper as it calls for decolonization practices in resource extraction industries, such as mining corporations, a traditional capitalistic environment in which decolonization has not been prioritized. It amplifies Indigenous voices and promotes the peaceful and activist work among leaders from polarizing backgrounds; First Nations and mining corporations, to achieve reconciliation. Specifically, this work relates to the conference sub-theme “Harnessing Cultural Energy” which highlights the important role cultural traditions such as storytelling play in promoting unconventional partnerships to propel communities forward. This work utilizes storytelling as an evaluation tool which aligns with TribalCrit tenet number 8 which states: “Stories are not separate from theory; they make up theory and are, therefore, real and legitimate sources of data and ways of being” (Brayboy, 2005, p. 430). Ultimately, this paper promotes decolonization and reconciliation practices between First Nation communities and industry partners in a manner that situates Indigenous cultural needs at the forefront.
