Far from opposing natural resource development, the majority of Indigenous communities across Canada choose to engage directly in the resource sectors, securing significant economic benefits while ensuring future generations can thrive.
Today, hundreds of First Nations have benefit agreements, mutual partnerships, and ownership stakes in the development and operation of oil & gas, mining, forestry, aquaculture and other resource projects on their lands. As a result, the natural resources sector is Canada’s predominant industry for creating opportunities for:
- Indigenous communities to generate own-source revenues
- Indigenous entrepreneurs to grow their businesses
- Indigenous workers to make a good living
- Indigenous families to stay in their communities
Indigenous Peoples & Economic Development
Indigenous Peoples in Canada are sometimes portrayed as operating outside of the economy and as opposed to any resource development. In reality, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples have been involved in sophisticated economies and far-reaching trade systems for millennia.
The fur trade saw the growth of trade and business between European and Indigenous Peoples, which was instrumental in Canada’s establishment as a nation, until the forced settlement of Indigenous Peoples in the 19th and 20th centuries made most of their economic opportunities disappear.
Over the past few decades, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples have resumed their place in the national and global economies as title holders, employees, partners and increasingly as owners of small and large business ventures. For Indigenous Peoples, there can be no political self-determination without economic self-determination.
Indigenous Rights Include Economic Rights
Indigenous rights are human rights. Among the most critical of human rights are economic ones – the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, water and shelter, and the ability to live in dignity and participate fully in society, including through work. These have been enshrined in documents including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Human Rights.
While Indigenous Peoples in Canada have consistently asserted their economic rights, much of the current political and intellectual discussion on Aboriginal rights has focused narrowly on their ability to say ‘no’ to economic development. Ensuring equitable participation in and benefits from the modern economy – being able to say ‘yes’ to development – is just as crucial to the well-being of Indigenous Peoples across the country.
In fact, many Indigenous leaders have publicly expressed the absolute need for control over local resource development as a means of battling the scourge of systemic, inter-generational poverty. Our perspective is that Indigenous leaders have shown, time and again, they’re more than capable of making strong and impactful economic arguments. Canada Action hopes that we’re all able to listen to such arguments, which is why we are dedicated to sharing the facts about Indigenous involvement in natural resource development and the benefits this brings to communities in need.
UNDRIP
Although government deliberations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) tend to focus only on the meaning of “free, prior and informed consent”, the declaration covers economic aspects of Indigenous rights in depth, mentioning the concept 14 times.
UNDRIP's assertions include that:
> Indigenous Peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development (Article 3)
> Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State (Article 5)
> Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities (Article 20.1)
> Indigenous Peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security (Article 21.1)
Indigenous leaders agree that economic, business and community development are all needed to improve the prosperity and well-being of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, while supporting their self-determination. They can work to reduce poverty by promoting economic opportunities in their communities. Natural resources projects are key to their success.
Indigenous & Resources in Canada: Facts
- Many Indigenous communities are located in rural and remote areas of Canada where few other economic drivers exist
- Indigenous communities have rights to the enjoyment and use of their territories and resources as they see fit
- Many resource projects require consultation, and in some cases, consent, making Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs natural partners in resource development across Canada
- Canada's natural resource industry has the highest average level of Indigenous employment of any sector, including more than 17,300 Indigenous Peoples in the minerals and metals sector alone [1]
- Indigenous workers account for 11% of Canada’s upstream mining industry’s labour force, more than double the all-industry average representation of 4% [1]
- There are currently more than 500 active agreements between mining companies and Indigenous communities in Canada [5]
- More than 11,000 Indigenous workers are employed by Canada’s forestry sector – approximately 6% of the industry’s workforce [2]
- More than 300 communities in Canada are reliant on the forestry sector for economic opportunities, many of which are Indigenous [2]
- The Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline had 120 of 129 Indigenous communities along its route either support or did not oppose the project [3]
- Indigenous People in Canada make nearly 3x more working in the oil and gas extraction sector than the average Indigenous worker, earning $140,400 vs $51,120, almost twice as much in mining at $93,600, and a higher than average income in forestry at $56,100 [4]
- 17 First Nations communities along the route of the Coastal GasLink pipeline are now 10% equity stake owners in the project [6]
- 38 First Nations have acquired ownership in the Westcoast natural gas pipeline system, with a 12.5% ownership interest [7]
Take Action!
Economic, business and community development are all needed to improve the prosperity and well-being of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples while supporting their self-determination. Indigenous organizations across Canada are working hard to advance these objectives.
Canada Action is proud to partner with several Indigenous Communities and Pro-Resource Development groups including:
- Indigenous Resource Network is a platform for Indigenous voices that are supportive of Indigenous participation in resource development
- Indian Resource Council is an advocacy organization of First Nations working for greater control and management of their natural resources
- National Coalition of Chiefs is a community of pro-development First Nation Chiefs and Metis leaders that advocate for the development of oil and gas resources in their communities
SOURCES
1 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-economy#indigenous
2 – https://natural-resources.canada.ca/forest-forestry/state-canada-forests/forests-benefit-canadians
3 - https://decisions.fca-caf.gc.ca/fca-caf/decisions/en/item/460815/index.do
4 - https://boereport.com/2023/02/27/resource-sector-provides-highest-paying-jobs-for-indigenous-workers-in-canada/
5 - https://mining.ca/towards-sustainable-mining/protocols-guides/indigenous-and-community-relationships/
6 – https://energynow.ca/2024/03/coastal-gaslink-is-a-good-news-story-to-be-remembered-by-canadian-indigenous-families/
7 - https://www.dentons.com/en/about-dentons/news-events-and-awards/news/2025/july/dentons-canada-advises-on-structuring-of-historic