Joe Bevan knows firsthand what it’s like when engagement between an Indigenous community and a major energy project proponent misses the mark.

But the former chief of Kitselas First Nation also knows what it takes to reach an agreement built around protecting the environment and creating benefits for generations to come.

He’s now drawing on that experience to support early engagement with Indigenous communities on major projects.

“This work, to me, is very important because major projects affect lands, livelihoods, rights and a community's future. Good engagement helps to ensure that decisions are better informed, more respectful and more durable over time,” said Bevan, who also serves as a board member of the BC Energy Regulator.

“Engagement helps surface practical and cultural considerations that may not be visible on a map.”

Coming to the table

Bevan’s experience with major energy projects goes back more than a decade.

Kitselas First Nation’s traditional territory lies in the heartland of B.C.’s growing LNG industry, running along the Skeena River Valley near Terrace to the Pacific Ocean.

“For the longest time, we had said no to anybody who wanted to come and have a discussion about doing a potential project,” Bevan said.

“Then we finally started saying, what if we said yes? What if we put it into an agreement and kind of lock it in? At least we have protections. That would be a lot more beneficial than just saying no,” he said.

“Then we started looking at the potential for training, procurement and development of our people… It really helped us out, as a Nation.”

As chief, in 2013 Bevan led the community’s negotiations for the proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline as part of the 16-member First Nations Limited Partnership (FNLP).

An initial proposal for the natural gas pipeline project had fallen short of what the Nations were seeking. So they organized around a common negotiating position and returned to the table.

The result was a collaborative agreement that FNLP says has already delivered “important financial benefits” during the pipeline’s pre-construction phase.

With the fully permitted project now owned by Enbridge, the partnership says it continues to safeguard negotiated benefits including jobs, training and contracts that would take effect if the pipeline moves forward.

From consultation to partnership

The Pacific Trail agreement helped establish Kitselas First Nation as a potential partner in major projects, Bevan said.

Today, through its development corporation, the Nation is active in sectors including energy, utilities, environmental services, construction and tourism.

In 2022, Kitselas joined 15 other Indigenous communities in an option agreement to acquire a 10 per cent equity interest in the Coastal GasLink Pipeline.

Earlier this year, it signed an impacts and benefits agreement supporting Ksi Lisims LNG – co-owned by the Nisga’a Nation – which includes investment to expand access to affordable, flexible childcare.

Indigenous ownership on the rise

Indigenous engagement in major projects is changing, with equity ownership rising sharply in recent years, according to Indigenous Energy Monitor (IEM).

IEM reports a 290 per cent increase in new Indigenous co-owned projects coming online between 2017 and 2025.

The platform estimates Indigenous co-owned projects across Canada are now worth $283 billion, with more than half in oil and gas.

“Fifty years ago, it was like, ‘by the way, we're putting a right-of-way through your territory, and we're just gonna do it,’” Bevan said.

“Now they're consulting with us and asking us, what are your concerns? And now we're talking about, potentially, equity participation. That could be a game changer for some of these Nations… That's why it's always good to engage early.”

The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to the Alberta Energy Centre.