Between April 22 and 23, Whitehorse is hosting the Yukon First Nations Defence and Security Industry Conference. Hosted by the Yukon Assembly of First Nations and Yukon First Nations Chamber of Commerce, the conference is bringing together First Nation governments, industry, members of the Armed Forces, among others, to talk defence.
As per the conference鈥檚 agenda, the conference intends to be a 鈥減latform to build strategic partnerships, drive economic opportunities, and ensure First Nation priorities shape the future of Arctic defence.鈥�
David Carri猫re-Acco is the conference鈥檚 keynote speaker. He founded Indigenous consulting firm Acosys. He is also a professor with McGill University鈥檚 School of Continuing Studies and a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Speaking with the News on April 22, Carri猫re-Acco said Indigenous people have a critical role in developing defence in the North.
The Yukon in particular is a place of strategic importance, being close to the Arctic, to the Pacific Ocean, and to the Alaskan border, he said.
Indigenous companies can help to support equipment for the Armed Forces and Canadian Rangers, said Carri猫re-Acco. He said the knowledge and experience on the land is something Indigenous people can contribute.
He referenced a training exercise involving Canadian and NATO forces in Nunavut which took place in recent years as an example of this.
Earlier this year, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force took part in a training exercise in Carcross, with members of Carcross Tagish First Nation providing logistical support, cultural integration and economic opportunities to soldiers.
READ MORE:
鈥淭here is a critical role that we Indigenous people have to play in reimagining the defence of this country,鈥� said Carri猫re-Acco, whose family comes from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in what is now Saskatchewan.
As Indigenous people are one of the founding nations behind Canada, Carri猫re-Acco said that they have a right to be part of the economy.
鈥淚t's not just mining or forestry, it's all sectors,鈥� he said. He points to a recent commitment by federal departments and agencies that at least five per cent of procurement contracts are held by Indigenous businesses.
Carri猫re-Acco will be presenting on April 23. His keynote presentation will address how to create a collaborative defence economy, according to the conference鈥檚 agenda.
He said it is important for the government, especially ministries like public procurement or defence, to consider direct and indirect contracts for Indigenous communities, and capacity building. Indigenous youth, in particular, have to be included as part of the national economic future, said Carri猫re-Acco.
鈥淓conomic reconciliation is, you know, putting things back in the right order,鈥� said Carri猫re-Acco, who notes that when European settlers first arrived on these lands, they worked with Indigenous people.
鈥淪o, now, economic reconciliation looks like they're saying, you know, we need you as partners. We need you to help us develop. We need you to help us, you know, move the economy forward 鈥� in terms of, you know, Indigenous people's worldview when it comes to, what good looks like in the environment and, you know, within socioeconomic outcomes.鈥�
As the federal election looms on the horizon, Carri猫re-Acco said the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP have all referred to Indigenous people being critical partners, he said.
鈥淢y hope actually is that, they鈥檙e going to put, really, action behind those words. If we鈥檙e partners, they鈥檙e going to make those investments, they鈥檙e going make those changes in policy, that facilitates partnership,鈥� said Carri猫re-Acco.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
