Corporate-Indigenous Relations Council

Effective corporate–Indigenous relations are increasingly important to our objectives as a country.

Mutually beneficial relationships are at the heart of success and prosperity for industry, public sector organizations, and Indigenous communities and businesses, and sets the foundation for reconciliation in Canada.

The Conference Board of Canada’s Corporate–Indigenous Relations Council (CIRC) is an executive network with a mandate to create equitable, productive, and collaborative corporate–Indigenous relations. It fosters honest dialogue between senior-level representatives from public, private, and Indigenous organizations in a confidential venue. Members work together to find practical solutions to common challenges and opportunities.

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Who should join?

CIRC is a network for leaders from Indigenous, public, private, and not-for-profit organizations whose roles focus on the corporate–Indigenous relations landscape.

Members have a shared and committed interest in improving their knowledge, practices, and policies in Canada.

Key objectives

Support organizations from across all sectors in developing best practices and constructive, mutually beneficial relationships
Contribute to reconciliation through collaborative and respectful engagement between Indigenous, private, and public sector organizations

Benefits of membership

Collaborate

Work collaboratively and develop productive relationships with peers and stakeholders from across the country in an intimate and confidential forum

Connect

Hear from experts and practitioners on key issues and learn from their successes and challenges

Gain

Access practical ideas about how your organization can develop and maintain effective corporate–Indigenous relations

Grow

Keep your finger on the pulse of key developments and contemporary issues

Current members

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

Alamos Gold Inc.

Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation

Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.

Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat

BC Hydro

Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers

Canadian National Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway Company

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated

Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology

Det’On Cho Corporation

Employment and Social Development Canada

Enbridge Inc.

FedNor

FedNor (Federal Economic Development Initiative in Northern Ontario)

First Nations Major Projects Coalition

First Nations University of Canada

Gibson Energy Ltd.

Government of the Northwest Territories

Hydro One

Indigenous Services Canada

Leaders International Executive Search

Manitoba Hydro

Ministry of Indigenous Affairs

National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association

National Association of Friendship Centres

Nova Scotia Office of L'nu Affairs

Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Olthuis, Kleer, Townshend LLP

Ontario Power Generation

Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada

Rogers Communications Inc.

Royal Bank of Canada

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.

TELUS Corporation

Watco

Looking forward

The Council is proud to offer a program plan for the coming two years that is relevant and actionable—one that includes the perspective of Indigenous, private sector, and public sector organizations. Moreover, this plan is flexible enough to address the changing needs and interests of Council members, as well as emerging issues that were not originally anticipated.

Systemic racism: The impacts on Indigenous engagement and inclusion
UNDRIP legislation: Implications for the evolving corporate–Indigenous agreement landscape
Trusted relationships: A renewed emphasis on best practices in engagement and relationship-building
Procurement and supply chain management: Barriers, opportunities, and assessing the impacts
Seizing the opportunity for Indigenous economic reconciliation: Community and youth-focused capacity development

“The Corporate–Indigenous Relations Council is one of the best forums I have had the opportunity to participate in, and it provides a lot of value to my organization. The meetings provide a unique opportunity to thoughtfully and candidly discuss cutting-edge ideas and practical issues with business, government, and Indigenous leaders from across the country. ”

Justin Huston, Deputy Minister and Chief Executive Officer, Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs

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Member activity

Next session

Indigenous Governance Virtual Series

Winter 2023
Theme: "Capacity Challenges"
Virtual Event

Spring Members Meeting

May 2023
Theme: "Procurement and Supply Chain Management: Barriers, Opportunity and Assessing the Impacts"
Location: TBC

Previous sessions

November 16–17, 2022: Fall Members Meeting

Theme: Trusted Relationships—A Renewed Emphasis on Best Practices in Engagement and Relationship Building
Location: Gastown, Vancouver, BC
Download Agenda

September 28, 2022: Indigenous Governance Series—Session 3

Theme: A Discussion on Indigenous Governance Structures and the Path to Economic Reconciliation
Location: Virtual

Download Agenda

Speaker

Chief Commissioner Manny Jules, First Nations Tax Commission

May 4–5, 2022 (Members Meeting)

Theme: UNDRIP Legislation: Implications for the Evolving Corporate-Indigenous Agreement Landscape

Download Agenda

January 20, 2022 (Indigenous Governance Series)

Theme: Canada’s UNDRIP Legislation and Its Implications for Indigenous Governance

Download Agenda

Speakers

Chief Scott McLeod, Nipissing First Nation
Sunny LeBourdais, Director of Transformation, Qwelminte Secwepemc
Ken Paul, Wastey Nation
Sandra Gogal, Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Fall 2021 (Members Meeting)

Theme: The Impacts of Systemic Racism on Indigenous Engagement and Inclusion

Download Agenda

Speakers

Becky Sasakamoose Kuffer, Cultural Diversity & Race Relations Consultant, City of Saskatoon
Bernadette Iahtail, Government of Alberta Anti-Racism Advisory Council Member, Executive Director/Co-Founder, Creating Hope Society
Tara Shea, Senior Director, Regulatory & Indigenous Affairs, Mining Association of Canada (MAC)
Sara Mainville, Partner, Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP
Dale Sturges, Head, Indigenous Financial Services, RBC
Shannin Metatawabin, Chief Executive Officer, NACCA
Sandra Gogal, Partner, Cassels

Recent themes

UNDRIP Legislation: Implications for the Evolving Corporate-Indigenous Agreement Landscape
Canada’s UNDRIP Legislation and Its Implications for Indigenous Governance
The Impacts of Systemic Racism on Indigenous Engagement and Inclusion
Indigenous Reconciliation Through an Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance Lens
Measuring progress: Evolving performance indicators and metrics for Corporate-Indigenous Relations
Indigenous recruitment, retention, and procurement: Best practices and new opportunities
Measuring progress: evolving performance indicators and metrics for corporate indigenous relations
Creating an organization-wide commitment to Indigenous inclusion and engagement: from our colleagues to the boardroom
Reconciliation, UNDRIP, and FPIC: Working Towards Consensus on Key Objectives and Principles

Relevant research for members

Woman with open arms standing in a field surrounded by mountains

Building Resilience and Capacity With Remote Indigenous Communities in Canada

The Conference Board of Canada and a number of partners embarked on a multi-year project entitled Building Resilience and Capacity With Remote Indigenous Communities in Canada. Central to the project were community planning processes in four remote Indigenous communities that aimed to improve these communities’ capacities to manage threats and risks, cope with change, and seize opportunities.

Impact paper | 40-min read
October 13, 2022

A village with houses covered in snow during a sunset

Indigenous Ownership

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities across Canada are emerging as successful major project leaders, but not all of them have the necessary resources to make informed decisions, manage risks, and finance large-scale investments in their futures.

Online experience | 8-min read
September 29, 2022

Indigenous woman sitting at a desk and typing on a computer

Indigenous Finance and Management Professionals

As reflected in recent Supreme Court decisions, parliamentary debates, and public opinion polls, Indigenous rights are increasingly part of major project decisions. This spans sectors such as power generation, mining, and oil and gas. While at times contentious, the assertion of Indigenous rights presents a bold new vision of economic reconciliation with opportunities for Indigenous communities looking to determine their economic futures.

Impact paper | 29-min read
June 22, 2022
Partner—Future Skills Centre

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