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By JP Gladu

June 22, 2026

Across Canada, a historic economic and leadership shift is underway. Like never before, Indigenous Nations are participating — as governments, partners, investors and owners — in major projects across all sectors of the economy.

From oil and gas, mining, forestry, agriculture, and green energy, the Indigenous economy is growing at a scale that is reshaping the national economic landscape.

The future belongs to leaders who understand that true economic reconciliation is not achieved through transactional approaches, but through partnerships defined and sustained by early engagement, trust, and mutual respect built over time.

Today, community engagement is no longer a procedural step. It is the foundation for durable growth. Strong engagement practices create conditions where benefits are shared equitably across Indigenous Nations, industry, and Canada as a whole.

When leaders shift their mindset from “How do we move this project forward?” to “How do we build prosperity together?”, participation becomes meaningful.

So, how do we do this?

First, engagement actions need to evolve from consultation to co-development. This shift would strengthen project outcomes by ensuring relationships are established early and prioritized throughout the lifecycle of development.

However, we cannot expect Indigenous Nations to participate as equal partners in complex, multi-billion-dollar developments if they do not have the resources to do so.

Effective engagement depends on Indigenous Nations having the structural capacity and resources to fully participate with access to legal, environmental, financial, technical and regulatory support.

Second, the urgency of modern development requires that we recognize the importance of early and consistent engagement.

This includes establishing clarity in roles and expectations, maintaining consistency in how engagement is conducted across projects and jurisdictions, and fostering active collaboration that honours the rights, inherent jurisdiction, authority and lived experience of Indigenous Nations in the lands and waters where development occurs.

The Indigenous economy teaches us that leadership and long-term success are rooted in relationships, responsibility and reciprocity.

This means aligning decision-making pathways early and building community engagement as an essential ingredient of how projects are designed and advanced, rather than as an obstacle to be neutralized along the way.

Speed without alignment results in friction, delays and failure. True progress on major projects demands that government, industry, and Indigenous Nations work side by side from the very beginning. We cannot advance a project effectively if we leave partners behind or attempt to force momentum without free, prior and informed consent.

Next, we need to recognize Indigenous expertise. Indigenous business leaders, entrepreneurs, and Nations bring invaluable generational knowledge, technical insights, and long-term perspectives to the table. Increasingly, they are also bringing capital, equity positions, and governance leadership into major projects.

Elders, knowledge keepers, and community leadership also carry essential roles in guiding priorities that are not always captured in conventional economic models but are critical to long-term value.

Their perspectives help ensure that decisions are culturally grounded and environmentally responsible by balancing immediate economic opportunity with land stewardship, local and cultural priorities, and seven-generations thinking, reflecting the understanding that economic, social, cultural, and environmental outcomes are interconnected and must be considered together.

Leadership today is about advancing development by building durable relationships and shared prosperity.

The Indigenous economy teaches us that leadership and long-term success are rooted in relationships, responsibility and reciprocity. It reminds us that economic strength is not only measured by outcomes, but by the partnerships and agreements that support it.

The future of development in Canada will be shaped by leaders who understand that prosperity is not built alone. It is built together, intentionally and with respect for the people, communities and systems that will drive future prosperity.

JP Gladu is currently Principal of Mokwateh. He previously served as the President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB). Anishinaabe from Thunder Bay, JP is a member of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation), Ontario.