Economic Reconciliation in Corporate Strategy webinar - November 12, 2025

2nd session of the 4-part series on Walking the Path of Reconciliation: A Business- Focuses Webinar Series

• Wayne Kaboni - Director Founder
• Dr. Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo - Postdoctoral Researcher

Panelists:

• Kamana Bikadi, Senior Trust and Client Operations Officer, First Nation Bank Trust
• Michael Wrinch, Founder, Hedgehog Technologies
• Jill Budelli, Executive Director, Centre of Training Excellence in Mining 

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Key Takeaways:

• Economic reconciliation is not a fixed destination but a continual journey, that flows, adapts and evolves in its definitions and actionability over time. It calls for a transformation of the economy through Indigenous principles and wisdom, rather than merely improved relationships or inclusion.
• The Indigenous economy already contributes over $32 billion annually, powered by more than 60,000 Indigenous-owned firms across Canada.
• Authentic partnerships begin with trust, respect, equity, and social justice at their core.
• Businesses must learn to honour both traditional and modern governance systems, acknowledging each Nation’s unique structures.
• Non-Indigenous businesses, municipalities, and community members also play key roles in advancing reconciliation through regional collaboration and shared prosperity.
• Self-determination looks different in every community - some focus on economic empowerment, others on social, environmental, or health priorities.
• Supporting self-determination means recognizing and upholding the inherent right to self-government and decision-making authority over lands and resources.
• Impact investing should align with community priorities, not solely with investor metrics and focus on community-defined success.
• Equitable finance requires understanding both financial language and cultural context. The context will be unique and varied from one community to another across Canada, and there is not “one size fits all”
• A leading example is the First Nations Bank of Canada, which evolved from a partnership with TD Bank into a majority Indigenous-owned institution, demonstrating the power of Indigenous-led finance and capacity building.
• Businesses can advance reconciliation through Indigenous-led procurement policies and inclusive supplier diversity strategies.
• Fair and equitable compensation (including honoraria and partnership payments) should extend to all Indigenous peoples, including those living off-reserve.
• True progress is measured by community-led decision-making and value-driven outcomes, not simply financial transactions.
• Co-developed training programs, such as those by the Centre of Training Excellence in Mining (CTEM), demonstrate the importance of tailoring learning to local culture, capacity, and geography.
• Success is defined by learning, growth, and community impact, rather than by conventional completion rates.
• Involving Elders and knowledge keepers ensures cultural integrity and the intergenerational transfer of wisdom.
• As shared by Hedgehog Technologies, sustainable renewable energy projects succeed when they prioritize people, relationships, and trust over technology alone. Building local ownership and technical capacity helps ensure long-term project success.
• Adopting a values-based, whole-systems approach integrates technical, cultural, and environmental factors - leading to more resilient and sustainable outcomes.
• Persistent barriers including housing shortages to access gaps in healthcare, education, and infrastructure continue to limit economic participation of indigenous communities - especially those that are very remote.
• Indigenous financial institutions such as FNBC are leading the way by embedding equity into their operations, offering housing supports, cultural leave, and regional cost-of-living adjustments.
• Traditional IBAs can be rigid and outdated by the time projects proceed. Modern approaches should remain flexible and adaptive, with shared decision-making and ongoing community engagement built in from the start. 
• Strong partnerships go beyond IBAs to foster training, local enterprise development, and generational wealth creation.
• Progress depends on trust, consistency, and courage -overcoming fear to build enduring, values-aligned partnerships.
• Businesses can advance economic reconciliation by embracing impact and value-based investing, measured through social, cultural, and environmental outcomes alongside financial returns. In doing so, companies contribute to a more equitable and resilient economy rooted in the principles of the Seven Generations teaching ensuring prosperity for today and tomorrow.

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