These steps can help advance equitable returns on opportunity. But we must also think bigger picture, shifting the very definition of success from typical Western models to incorporate Indigenous viewpoints.
When Indigenous perspectives are embedded in projects’ assessment, planning, regulation and permitting stages, it evolves how infrastructure is built and economies are scaled. That means thinking about return on investment and internal rate of return by paralleling Indigenous knowledge systems of governance with western models to account for both similarities and differences. Fact-based validation processes should shape projects with a true understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems.
For example, value adherence, preservation of culture and tradition, reputational association, protection of land, air and water are all high priorities for Indigenous communities. This viewpoint contrasts with conventional Western KPIs companies and governments use to track project success.
We must assume that quality of life, access to clean drinking water, power, education, and affordable nutrition and housing will all be potential positive benefits as a result of major projects. What’s more, priorities will differ between communities — as well as the potential desire and right not to participate in a project at all.
Public and private stakeholders must work purposefully with Indigenous communities to understand the similarities, differences and parallels between typical measures of business, economic and social success that have defined Western culture for centuries — and the core values of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities when determining project success.
This should include consideration of intergenerational issues. Legacy capital must be part of defining outcomes. For instance, when a mining company builds a mine, it doesn’t simply derive the value of the resources, close the mine and leave. During the mine’s active period, camps and hotels are built, the company stands up retail, food and beverage amenities and the area flourishes with economic activity.
But what happens when the people leave? How will the project create a sustainable platform to shape the future? That’s legacy capital and it’s essential for Indigenous communities. It must also include consideration of how projects will contribute to education, training, and development of communities and people in the years that follow. Ownership requires capital as well as the capacity and support to maintain infrastructures and related benefits of the project in the first place.
The idea of reciprocity can provide a means of understanding the dynamic of goal-setting conflict and resolution. As the University of British Columbia puts it, reciprocity means “giving and receiving in equal measure and recognizing the importance of Indigenous knowledge and culture in shaping project goals. By practicing reciprocity, non-Indigenous people can build stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities.”2
This empowers stakeholders with a holistic view. Applied in a megaproject context, reciprocity creates common ground; it helps public and private stakeholders work with Indigenous governments and economic development arms to establish ideals, including a future state and goals that resonate broadly.
For this to work in practice, we would need to reconsider:
- Alignment
Indigenous communities may not necessarily measure investment returns in all the same ways as Western cultures. Economics count for Indigenous communities. Still, they also consider value alignment, environmental protection, relationships, reputation of proponents or others associated with a project and additional areas as part of overall success.
An active youth movement or recognition of elders’ social justice work may also factor into prosperity. What’s more: distribution of value derived from a project must be proportioned to the “true” overall value. In many cases, a project’s success depends on participation of the Indigenous partner. When everyone comes together to understand what Indigenous communities hope to achieve through a given project, the outcomes will be more clearly aligned to reconciliation.
- Equity
Many Indigenous communities are already equity partners in public and private endeavours across Canada. They should be owners. This shift requires a concerted effort to ensure Indigenous communities can access the funding available to go beyond collaboration and own these projects, then sustain the infrastructure and community benefits into the future.
The MPO has announced $40 million to increase Indigenous communities’ capacity to engage on major projects early and consistently. The Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program doubled to $10 billion in 2025 in the hopes of facilitating Indigenous access to affordable capital and extend major projects.3
These are steps in the right direction. But we need to do more and do better. A spirit of reciprocity can help us understand the needs and make targeted investments.
- Governance
Governance must be developed to support projects over the long term. Megaprojects can span many election cycles and changing priorities within Indigenous communities. Without a strong and continuous governance structure, these shifts chip away at the sustained economic and community wealth projects might otherwise create.
Embracing reciprocity can help build governance structures aligned to how the community functions. Establishing an economic development corporation with delegated authority, a knowledgeable board of directors and business-minded executives can go a long way in enabling project and community success.
This approach also promotes Indigenous entrepreneurship, helps define minimum — but meaningful — Indigenous business inclusion, sets Indigenous employment benchmarks relative to community demographics, enables training such as high-quality Red Seal Programs and fosters longer-term, sustainable growth.
Leading practices have already emerged along these lines in pockets across the country. Indigenous-led environmental approval and nature positivity assessments in mining projects are a solid example. Learning from what’s working and applying that knowledge at scale can help us make even more sustainable progress over time.
Projects like these can also create opportunities to incorporate infrastructure needs and capacity development possibilities, and mobilize workforces in remote locations. Indigenous communities — particularly in remote locations — may see new opportunities emerge from these projects. For example, this could mean aligning with industry stakeholders who are activated and investing in their territories to co-develop, participate in and deliver on Indigenous community infrastructure needs, including roads, energy, telecommunications, housing and more.
Practicing reciprocity at every stage of megaproject planning and execution fosters Indigenous reconciliation by design. It helps us make economic reconciliation real — not a compliance requirement, afterthought or performative undertaking.
Maybe that’s the greatest opportunity layered within Canada’s focus on shaping a new future. Maybe by redefining what inclusive looks like, this is the time we really do build one Canadian economy for all.
