WEBVTT
00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:10.160
Welcome to Paths to Prosperity, the podcast of the Saskatchewan Development Alliance.
00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.480
Hi, I'm your host, Crystal Froze.
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:16.800
Throughout this series, we've been talking about economic ecosystems.
00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:18.000
What makes them work?
00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:28.160
What makes them stronger, and maybe most importantly, what happens when we stop working in silos and start looking at our communities and regions as interconnected systems?
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:33.039
And today, I want to look at that conversation through an indigenous lens.
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:45.759
Because the Saskatchewan communities work to strengthen economic resilience, attract investment, address labor shortages, and build thriving regions, there's an important question we need to be asking.
00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:54.560
Can we really build successful economic ecosystems without Indigenous leadership, ownership, and partnership at the center?
00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:00.960
For many years, reconciliation and economic development were often treated as two separate conversations.
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:12.000
Reconciliation belonged over here in government relations or social policy, and economic development was over there, focused on business attraction, infrastructure, workforce growth, and investment.
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:17.359
But that separation really doesn't reflect the reality of Saskatchewan today.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.640
Indigenous communities represent some of the fastest growing populations in our province.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:28.480
They are employers, investors, landowners, entrepreneurs, rights holders and governments.
00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:36.000
And increasingly, they are leading economic development initiatives that create benefits well beyond their own communities.
00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:41.920
So perhaps the question is no longer whether Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities work together.
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.519
The question is how effectively we do it.
00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:50.560
If you've been following this series, you've heard us talk a lot about relationships.
00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:59.680
Because an economic ecosystem isn't simply a collection of businesses, municipalities, institutions, and agencies that happen to operate in the same geographic area.
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.079
The ecosystem is actually the relationship between them.
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:17.439
It's what allows those organizations to solve problems together, to share opportunities, align resources, and create outcomes that would be difficult, or sometimes maybe even impossible, to achieve on their own.
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:23.120
When we look at that idea through an Indigenous lens, it becomes even more powerful.
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:28.479
Many indigenous worldviews begin with an understanding that relationships matter.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:34.080
Communities, economies, environments, and people are all interconnected.
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:37.039
What happens in one area affects another.
00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:42.479
And that aligns naturally with the systems thinking we've been talking about throughout this series.
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.919
Economic development isn't only about a project.
00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.400
It isn't only about a transaction.
00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:55.360
It's about creating the conditions that allow people, communities, and entire regions to flourish together.
00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:03.120
One of the biggest shifts leaders can make is moving beyond thinking of indigenous communities simply as stakeholders.
00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:05.599
Because there's an important distinction here.
00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:07.840
Stakeholders are consulted.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:14.960
Partners help shape outcomes, and Indigenous communities are ecosystem builders in their own right.
00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:26.400
They bring leadership, investment capital, innovation, workforce development opportunities, cultural knowledge, and a long-term perspective that can strengthen regional economies.
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:36.879
As Milton Tatusis has noted, Indigenous communities should not be viewed as a risk to economic growth, but as a source of resilience, innovation, and investment.
00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.879
That changes the questions leaders need to be asking.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.240
Are Indigenous partners involved early in regional planning?
00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:47.840
Are governance structures designed to include Indigenous voices?
00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.520
Are we exploring opportunities for shared ownership?
00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:54.479
And maybe one of the most important questions?
00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:59.759
Are we building relationships before there is a project sitting on the table?
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:08.080
Because communities that can answer yes to those questions are positioning themselves for broader and more sustainable growth.
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:15.520
Economic reconciliation is sometimes talked about as a moral obligation, and it is certainly that.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.199
But it is also a practical economic strategy.
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:32.000
Regions that build strong Indigenous partnerships increase their capacity to attract investment, address labor force challenges, expand local entrepreneurship, and build more resilient local economies.
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:43.920
Think about what becomes possible when municipalities, indigenous governments, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations begin aligning around shared priorities.
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:50.399
Together, they can achieve outcomes that none of them may be able to accomplish independently.
00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:54.800
And really, that is the essence of ecosystem leadership.
00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:01.519
Instead of competing for resources, successful ecosystems create new value through collaboration.
00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:11.040
Instead of organizations working beside one another on parallel tracks, partners begin working towards shared goals with shared accountability.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.959
But that requires a different kind of leadership.
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:20.000
Traditional leadership often focuses on managing an individual organization.
00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:30.000
Ecosystem leadership asks us to look beyond the walls of our own organization and focus on strengthening the relationships between organizations.
00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.319
That means investing in trust before transactions.
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:39.759
It means creating shared tables where decisions can actually be made collaboratively.
00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.800
It means recognizing that expertise and knowledge come in different forms.
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:49.040
It means thinking about long-term outcomes rather than short-term wins.
00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:53.439
And it also means measuring success through collective impact.
00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.079
For many communities, that requires moving beyond consultation and towards co-creation.
00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.120
And maybe changing the question altogether.
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:11.439
Instead of asking how do we engage indigenous communities, perhaps we should be asking how do we build a future together?
00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:15.600
So what does this actually look like on the ground in Saskatchewan?
00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:21.439
It could mean municipalities and Indigenous governments co-creating regional economic development strategies.
00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.600
It could mean shared infrastructure planning and investment.
00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:29.839
It could mean collaborating on workforce development and talent attraction.
00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:34.879
It could mean working together on housing, transportation, and community well-being.
00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.360
And it could mean governance models that reflect shared decision making.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:46.480
It could also mean economic strategies that recognize indigenous communities as equal partners in growth.
00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.759
I think this distinction is really important.
00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:55.360
These aren't reconciliation initiatives sitting on the margins of economic development.
00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.800
This is economic development.
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:09.680
As we think about the future of Saskatchewan's regions, perhaps success won't belong to the communities with the most programs, the biggest budgets, or even the strongest individual institutions.
00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.839
It may come down to something much more fundamental.
00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.120
Who has built the strongest relationships?
00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:22.800
Economic ecosystems thrive when communities work across boundaries instead of remaining within them.
00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:32.000
And an indigenous lens reminds us of something that is easy to lose sight of when we get caught up in programs, projects, budgets, and organizational mandates.
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:36.560
Prosperity isn't created in isolation.
00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:48.720
It emerges when people, organizations, and governments recognize that they are interconnected and commit to building something larger than any one sector could achieve on its own.
00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.639
So perhaps that is the leadership challenge in front of us.
00:07:52.879 --> 00:08:04.959
Move beyond participation, towards partnership, beyond consultation, towards co-creation, and beyond economic growth alone, towards shared prosperity.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:12.160
Our focus on Paths to Prosperity is on what works, what's emerging, and what leaders should be thinking about now.
00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:16.480
Share these conversations with your colleagues, community leaders, and elected officials.
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:24.399
Conversations like this become powerful when they continue around board tables, council tables, and in organizations across our communities.
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:30.319
You can find more resources on the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance website at CEDA.ca.
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.159
I'm Crystal Froze, and thanks for listening.
00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:10.160
Welcome to Paths to Prosperity, the podcast of the Saskatchewan Development Alliance.
00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.480
Hi, I'm your host, Crystal Froze.
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:16.800
Throughout this series, we've been talking about economic ecosystems.
00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:18.000
What makes them work?
00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:28.160
What makes them stronger, and maybe most importantly, what happens when we stop working in silos and start looking at our communities and regions as interconnected systems?
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:33.039
And today, I want to look at that conversation through an indigenous lens.
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:45.759
Because the Saskatchewan communities work to strengthen economic resilience, attract investment, address labor shortages, and build thriving regions, there's an important question we need to be asking.
00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:54.560
Can we really build successful economic ecosystems without Indigenous leadership, ownership, and partnership at the center?
00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:00.960
For many years, reconciliation and economic development were often treated as two separate conversations.
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:12.000
Reconciliation belonged over here in government relations or social policy, and economic development was over there, focused on business attraction, infrastructure, workforce growth, and investment.
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:17.359
But that separation really doesn't reflect the reality of Saskatchewan today.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.640
Indigenous communities represent some of the fastest growing populations in our province.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:28.480
They are employers, investors, landowners, entrepreneurs, rights holders and governments.
00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:36.000
And increasingly, they are leading economic development initiatives that create benefits well beyond their own communities.
00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:41.920
So perhaps the question is no longer whether Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities work together.
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.519
The question is how effectively we do it.
00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:50.560
If you've been following this series, you've heard us talk a lot about relationships.
00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:59.680
Because an economic ecosystem isn't simply a collection of businesses, municipalities, institutions, and agencies that happen to operate in the same geographic area.
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.079
The ecosystem is actually the relationship between them.
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:17.439
It's what allows those organizations to solve problems together, to share opportunities, align resources, and create outcomes that would be difficult, or sometimes maybe even impossible, to achieve on their own.
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:23.120
When we look at that idea through an Indigenous lens, it becomes even more powerful.
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:28.479
Many indigenous worldviews begin with an understanding that relationships matter.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:34.080
Communities, economies, environments, and people are all interconnected.
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:37.039
What happens in one area affects another.
00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:42.479
And that aligns naturally with the systems thinking we've been talking about throughout this series.
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.919
Economic development isn't only about a project.
00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.400
It isn't only about a transaction.
00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:55.360
It's about creating the conditions that allow people, communities, and entire regions to flourish together.
00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:03.120
One of the biggest shifts leaders can make is moving beyond thinking of indigenous communities simply as stakeholders.
00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:05.599
Because there's an important distinction here.
00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:07.840
Stakeholders are consulted.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:14.960
Partners help shape outcomes, and Indigenous communities are ecosystem builders in their own right.
00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:26.400
They bring leadership, investment capital, innovation, workforce development opportunities, cultural knowledge, and a long-term perspective that can strengthen regional economies.
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:36.879
As Milton Tatusis has noted, Indigenous communities should not be viewed as a risk to economic growth, but as a source of resilience, innovation, and investment.
00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.879
That changes the questions leaders need to be asking.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.240
Are Indigenous partners involved early in regional planning?
00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:47.840
Are governance structures designed to include Indigenous voices?
00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.520
Are we exploring opportunities for shared ownership?
00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:54.479
And maybe one of the most important questions?
00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:59.759
Are we building relationships before there is a project sitting on the table?
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:08.080
Because communities that can answer yes to those questions are positioning themselves for broader and more sustainable growth.
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:15.520
Economic reconciliation is sometimes talked about as a moral obligation, and it is certainly that.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.199
But it is also a practical economic strategy.
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:32.000
Regions that build strong Indigenous partnerships increase their capacity to attract investment, address labor force challenges, expand local entrepreneurship, and build more resilient local economies.
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:43.920
Think about what becomes possible when municipalities, indigenous governments, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations begin aligning around shared priorities.
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:50.399
Together, they can achieve outcomes that none of them may be able to accomplish independently.
00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:54.800
And really, that is the essence of ecosystem leadership.
00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:01.519
Instead of competing for resources, successful ecosystems create new value through collaboration.
00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:11.040
Instead of organizations working beside one another on parallel tracks, partners begin working towards shared goals with shared accountability.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.959
But that requires a different kind of leadership.
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:20.000
Traditional leadership often focuses on managing an individual organization.
00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:30.000
Ecosystem leadership asks us to look beyond the walls of our own organization and focus on strengthening the relationships between organizations.
00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.319
That means investing in trust before transactions.
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:39.759
It means creating shared tables where decisions can actually be made collaboratively.
00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.800
It means recognizing that expertise and knowledge come in different forms.
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:49.040
It means thinking about long-term outcomes rather than short-term wins.
00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:53.439
And it also means measuring success through collective impact.
00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.079
For many communities, that requires moving beyond consultation and towards co-creation.
00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.120
And maybe changing the question altogether.
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:11.439
Instead of asking how do we engage indigenous communities, perhaps we should be asking how do we build a future together?
00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:15.600
So what does this actually look like on the ground in Saskatchewan?
00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:21.439
It could mean municipalities and Indigenous governments co-creating regional economic development strategies.
00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.600
It could mean shared infrastructure planning and investment.
00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:29.839
It could mean collaborating on workforce development and talent attraction.
00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:34.879
It could mean working together on housing, transportation, and community well-being.
00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.360
And it could mean governance models that reflect shared decision making.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:46.480
It could also mean economic strategies that recognize indigenous communities as equal partners in growth.
00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.759
I think this distinction is really important.
00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:55.360
These aren't reconciliation initiatives sitting on the margins of economic development.
00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.800
This is economic development.
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:09.680
As we think about the future of Saskatchewan's regions, perhaps success won't belong to the communities with the most programs, the biggest budgets, or even the strongest individual institutions.
00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.839
It may come down to something much more fundamental.
00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.120
Who has built the strongest relationships?
00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:22.800
Economic ecosystems thrive when communities work across boundaries instead of remaining within them.
00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:32.000
And an indigenous lens reminds us of something that is easy to lose sight of when we get caught up in programs, projects, budgets, and organizational mandates.
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:36.560
Prosperity isn't created in isolation.
00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:48.720
It emerges when people, organizations, and governments recognize that they are interconnected and commit to building something larger than any one sector could achieve on its own.
00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.639
So perhaps that is the leadership challenge in front of us.
00:07:52.879 --> 00:08:04.959
Move beyond participation, towards partnership, beyond consultation, towards co-creation, and beyond economic growth alone, towards shared prosperity.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:12.160
Our focus on Paths to Prosperity is on what works, what's emerging, and what leaders should be thinking about now.
00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:16.480
Share these conversations with your colleagues, community leaders, and elected officials.
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:24.399
Conversations like this become powerful when they continue around board tables, council tables, and in organizations across our communities.
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:30.319
You can find more resources on the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance website at CEDA.ca.
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.159
I'm Crystal Froze, and thanks for listening.
