b'CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIPSIndigenous Peoples have been stew- the needs and well-being of the next ards of the environment since timeseven generations in mind. References: Canadian Council for immemorial.TheinterconnectivityAboriginal Business. (2016.) Promise and among Indigenous communities, theirChi Miigwetch Prosperity: The 2016 Aboriginal Business cultures, and ways of life with the land areSurvey. https://www.ccab.com/wp-content/reflected in laws and constitute the basisTabatha Bull is the CEO of the Canadianuploads/2016/10/CCAB-PP-Report-V2-SQ-Pages.pdf. Canadian Council for Aboriginal for Indigenous rights as well as responsi- Council for Aboriginal Business. ThisBusiness. (2019.) Business Reconciliation bilities. Indigenous environmental values,article first appeared on the Canadianin Canada Guidebook. https://www.their consideration of the impact onInstitute for Climate Choices website inccab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/water and treaty rights, and adherenceOctober 2021 as part of its IndigenousBusiness-reconciliation-in-canada_to natural laws are strikingly differentPerspectives series. It is reprinted hereWEB-final_AAthan most potential partners. We oftenwith the organizations permission.say this, but I do not think developers really grasp just how different these concepts are for Indigenous Peoples. For example, what non-Indigenous corpora-tion considers how a project or decision will impact their seventh generationthat is, the impact on descendants that are going to be born in 2215? These impacts take time to consider and eval-uate. Decisions are particularly difficult with the introduction of new technolo-gies without historical precedent, such as nuclear waste disposal. If we can resource communities to advance this work, then we are better enabling them to make good decisions for our futureNuna Group of Companieswhen a project becomes a reality. Additionally, communities have said that they require the necessary support to respond and participate in the conversa-tions necessary to enter equity projects. Such support might include funding for a full-time energy worker in the commu-nity, for legal and financial fees to eval-uate financial and ownership models, or for community engagement plans or community governance. 3. Do not be afraid to ask questionsI know sometimes, particularly with Indigenous communities or Indigenous issues, people are worried about saying the wrong thing or asking the wrong question for fear of causing offence, but that has only served to stall conversa-tion, our collective learning, and the countrys progress. Now more than ever, we need to ensure we keep the All-Weather Roads & RunwaysIce Roads & Runwaysconversation going. Contract Mining Mine ReclamationDams & Frozen Core DamsCare & MaintenanceOne final consideration: Indigenous DikesRemote Infrastructure Planningpeople are not one-dimensional. We are not just protestors or just environ-Earthworks & Site DevelopmentSite Services & Crushingmentalists; we are artists and engineers Exploration SupportVertical Cutter Miningand doctors and lawyers. We have been entrepreneurs and business leaders since before Confederation, trading and nego-tiating, and moving products from nation to nation. We will continue to do so with Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT35'