About INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES & ASSET OWNERS: OPPORTUNITY THROUGH UNDERSTANDING

On June 9, 2026, ILN and CPP Investments co-hosted a virtual panel on how institutional investors engage with Indigenous communities on major projects in Canada. Approximately 40 participants from 9 member organizations joined a discussion moderated by Jeffrey Hodgson, Managing Director of Global Stakeholder Affairs at CPP Investments, with panelists Mark Podlasly of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, Scott Munro of the First Nations Financial Management Board, and Tabatha Bull of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the conversation examined the constitutional status of Indigenous peoples as rights holders, the shift from consultation to equity participation as the norm on major projects, and the capacity gaps that remain across more than 600 First Nations communities. The accompanying resource summarizes the Canadian context, what investors need to understand, the commercial case for early partnership, and questions investors can bring to portfolio companies.