Four Indigenous organizations on Canadian energy and building for the future
Press Release
March 23, 2025
The following is an open letter to party leaders from the First Nations LNG Alliance, Indigenous Resource Network, Indian Resource Council and First Nations Power Authority:
The Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Mr. Yves-François Blanchet, Leader, Bloc Québécois
The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Leader, Conservative Party of Canada
Mr. Jagmeet Singh, Leader, New Democratic Party
March 19th, 2025
Re: An Indigenous perspective on Canadian energy and building for the future
Dear Messrs. Carney, Blanchet, Poilievre, and Singh,
We, the undersigned Indigenous Organizations – First Nations LNG Alliance, Indigenous Resource Network, Indian Resource Council and First Nations Power Authority are writing to express our views on building new energy projects in Canada and its connection to Indigenous rights and the work of reconciliation.
There is a renewed sense of a Canada First approach, breathing life back into our energy sector, which is one of the key drivers of Canada’s economy. Most recently the leaders from Canada’s energy industry have called for a unified approach to building more pipelines and other infrastructure and for our government to use “emergency powers” to address the energy crisis. We welcome this development and the changing positions of many leaders across the country from ambivalence to support, including NRCAN Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
Indigenous peoples are not spectators in this conversation, we are rights-holders and stewards of the land. Moreover, we are important players in Canada’s oil and natural gas sector across the value chain, as partners, owners, workers and regulators. Our leadership has been instrumental in the growth of the industry, including Canada’s emerging liquefied natural gas (LNG) opportunities. Oil and gas are produced on the lands of our members in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador; First Nations like Kainai (Blood Tribe) and Fort McKay own their own oil and gas companies. Our members are owners of major infrastructure including the Coastal Gas Link Pipeline, the Cedar LNG project, and Ksi Lisims LNG project. Indigenous peoples have also built businesses to service these industries and have been workers on projects over many decades. This involvement has supported the economic independence of Indigenous Nations and enabled us to build up our communities, deliver social and cultural programs, and chart a future of prosperity for ourselves.
We would highlight that Indigenous peoples in Canada are also reaching out to the world to understand global energy needs and the role we can play in addressing them. We have been part of the Government of Canada’s international missions as well as the missions of partner organizations, most recently to Japan. Through that outreach, we have learned that even rich nations like Japan and South Korea do not have domestic sources of energy and need partners like Canada. Global allies want LNG and diverse energy partners and hope Canada can be one of them. In many countries in Asia and Africa, people don’t have the energy they need to live – and they should not be made to wait any longer to have it.
We have the ability to provide people around the world access to affordable energy, which is fundamental to reducing poverty for communities everywhere. As Indigenous peoples, we have firsthand experience of how devastating poverty can be, and we want to help others avoid it.
Our members are prepared to be part of the responsible growth of Canada’s oil and natural gas exports and to address energy insecurity. At the same time, Indigenous peoples, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit, have inherent and Treaty Rights to resource ownership which must be respected and recognized moving forward. We will do our part to support other levels of Government and all Canadians as we work to build a more secure future for ourselves and international allies. But we must be involved every step of the way.
Respectfully,
Karen Ogen, Chief Executive Officer, First Nations LNG Alliance;
John Desjarlais, Executive Director, Indigenous Resource Network
Guy Lonechild, Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Power Authority
Stephen Buffalo, President, Indian Resource Council
ILR5
