Quick answer: An Indigenous relations strategy should connect an organization’s commitments to specific decisions, responsible owners, budgets, relationships and review dates. In Alberta, start by defining why the strategy is needed, identifying the distinct First Nations, Métis and Inuit contexts connected to the work, confirming who has authority to participate or decide, and choosing a small number of operational priorities. Then fund the work, assign accountability and review progress with the people affected.
This guide is for corporate leaders, public agencies, municipalities, tourism organizations, schools, colleges, universities, museums and non-profits that are ready to move from broad intentions to accountable action. It addresses organizational strategy, not legal advice or the Crown’s duty to consult.
What is an Indigenous relations strategy?
An Indigenous relations strategy is an organization-wide plan for how decisions, policies and day-to-day practices will support respectful, accountable relationships with Indigenous peoples, communities, organizations and businesses relevant to the organization’s work. A useful strategy is distinctions-based: it does not treat First Nations, Métis and Inuit as one group, and it does not assume that one advisor, employee or organization can speak for everyone.
The strategy may address leadership, engagement, employment, procurement, programs, communications, learning, data, partnerships or service delivery. The right mix depends on the organization’s mandate, location, current relationships and the people affected.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92 asks Canada’s corporate sector to apply the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to policy and core operations involving Indigenous peoples, lands and resources. It calls for meaningful consultation and respectful relationships, equitable access to employment and education opportunities, sustainable community benefits and skills-based education for leaders and staff. That is an operational agenda, not a one-day observance.
Seven steps for building an Indigenous relations strategy
1. Start with the decision and the organizational mandate
Do not begin with a list of cultural activities. Begin with the decisions the organization must make and the responsibilities it already holds.
Ask:
- Why is a strategy needed now?
- Which policies, services, projects, locations or relationships are in scope?
- What has the organization already promised publicly or privately?
- Who is affected by the decisions?
- What authority, budget and staff time can leadership commit?
- What should be measurably different in one, three and five years?
A land acknowledgement, training session or commemorative event may be one part of the work, but none of them is a substitute for a strategy. The plan must reach the places where the organization hires, buys, designs, communicates and makes decisions.
2. Map the people, rights and relationships connected to the work
“Indigenous stakeholders” is too broad to guide a responsible process. Identify the specific relationship involved. Depending on the decision, that may include rights-holding First Nations, Métis governments or communities, Inuit organizations, urban Indigenous service organizations, Indigenous employees, students, customers, businesses, cultural contributors or subject-matter experts. These roles are not interchangeable.
The Government of Canada’s relationship principles recognize First Nations, the Métis Nation and Inuit as distinct Peoples with unique rights, interests and circumstances. They also emphasize self-determination, good faith, cooperation and participation in decisions that affect rights. Use those principles as a reason to verify context and authority, not as a script to speak on anyone else’s behalf.
For each proposed participant, record why their involvement is relevant, what question is being asked, what authority they hold, how their time will be compensated, and how their input will affect the decision. If the team cannot answer those questions, it is not ready to send an invitation.
3. Create governance before creating promises
A strategy needs an executive sponsor, a day-to-day owner and a clear approval path. It also needs a process for Indigenous participation that fits the scope. An internal employee group, an external advisor, a community representative and a rights-holder may all contribute differently; one should not be presented as a substitute for another.
A simple responsibility map should name:
- the executive accountable for the strategy;
- the staff lead who coordinates the work;
- the departments responsible for each action;
- the people or bodies with review, advisory or decision authority;
- the process for conflicts of interest and unresolved concerns; and
- the schedule for reporting, review and renewal.
Participation should be voluntary, properly resourced and specific. Do not make one Indigenous employee responsible for educating colleagues or approving content because of their identity.
4. Choose workstreams that match the organization
Most organizations need a focused set of workstreams rather than a long catalogue of aspirations. The following framework is a starting point, not a universal template.
| Workstream | Questions to answer | Possible evidence of progress |
|---|---|---|
| Governance and accountability | Who owns decisions, budget and reporting? | Named executive owner, approved policy changes, public or internal progress reporting |
| Relationships and engagement | Which relationships are relevant, and how will commitments be tracked? | Agreed engagement processes, documented follow-through, partner-defined review points |
| People and learning | What do leaders and staff need to know and do differently? | Role-specific learning, safer HR practices, improved recruitment and retention processes |
| Procurement and economic participation | How will Indigenous businesses find and compete for appropriate opportunities? | Supplier outreach, accessible requirements, contracts awarded, payment and reporting practices |
| Programs, services and communications | Who helps design, review and evaluate work that affects Indigenous people? | Paid participation, documented permissions, service changes, community or user feedback |
Federal organizations have specific procurement requirements that may not apply to every buyer. Still, the Government of Canada’s current procurement guidance offers a useful general discipline: define requirements and deliverables clearly, describe responsibilities, set a realistic schedule and use evaluation criteria that assess what is genuinely essential. Avoid adding vague “Indigenous experience” language that bidders cannot interpret or prove.
5. Turn every commitment into an implementation line
A strategy becomes usable when each commitment has an outcome, action, owner, resources, deadline, dependencies and evidence. “Build relationships” is an intention. “By March, the operations vice-president will approve a relationship protocol developed through a paid review process with the relevant partners” is an implementable action.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Outcome | The practical change the action is meant to create |
| Action | The specific work to be completed |
| Owner | The person with authority and responsibility |
| Participation | Who must advise, review, approve or be informed |
| Resources | Budget, staff time, contributor compensation, travel and access supports |
| Timing | Start date, decision points, dependencies and review date |
| Evidence | How the organization and affected people will know whether change occurred |
Building or resetting an Indigenous relations strategy in Alberta? Start a consulting conversation with Powwow Times. Share the decision, location, affected people, current relationships, timeline and the internal owner for the work.
6. Budget for participation and implementation
The consulting fee is only one part of the budget. Depending on the scope, plan for contributor compensation, meetings, travel, accessibility, facilitation, legal advice, translation or interpretation, procurement changes, communications, data management and the staff time required to implement decisions.
Do not invite people to carry organizational work without discussing compensation and expectations. An honorarium may be appropriate in some contexts, but it should not be used to replace a professional fee, contracted service or community-defined arrangement.
Time is also a resource. The federal government’s reporting on consultation and cooperation under the UN Declaration Act notes that effective processes require adequate timelines, appropriate channels and timely funding for Indigenous partners. A deadline created by the organization does not reduce the time a respectful process needs.
7. Measure decisions and relationships, not attendance alone
Training attendance, event participation and the number of meetings are activity measures. They can show that work happened, but not whether a policy changed, a relationship strengthened or a barrier was removed.
Use a balanced set of measures:
- Commitment measures: actions completed, budgets approved and policies changed;
- Participation measures: whether the right people were involved early, compensated and able to affect the decision;
- Operational measures: changes in procurement, hiring, service delivery, communications or project governance;
- Relationship measures: feedback and review methods agreed with the relevant partners; and
- Learning measures: whether leaders and staff can apply knowledge to their actual responsibilities.
Report what is incomplete as well as what is finished. A credible update names delays, changed assumptions and next decisions without using Indigenous participation as a stamp of approval.
A practical first 90 days
Days 1–30: assess and define
- Name the executive sponsor and working lead.
- Inventory current commitments, policies, projects, relationships and unresolved issues.
- Separate verified facts from assumptions.
- Identify legal questions that need qualified advice.
- Draft the mandate, scope, budget and decision path.
Days 31–60: establish the process
- Verify which Nations, communities, organizations, employees or experts are relevant to the scope.
- Agree on roles, compensation, confidentiality, information stewardship and review authority before seeking input.
- Select a small number of priority workstreams.
- Document who can decide, who advises and how disagreements will be handled.
Days 61–90: approve first actions
- Translate priorities into funded implementation lines.
- Approve immediate actions that do not pre-empt external participation.
- Set reporting and renewal dates.
- Communicate the scope honestly: what is decided, what is still being developed and who is involved.
Ninety days is enough to establish governance and begin responsible work. It is not a promise that relationships, community-led decisions or rights-based processes can be completed on that schedule.
Organizational strategy does not replace legal consultation
In Alberta, the Crown’s duty to consult may be engaged when a contemplated Crown decision about land or natural-resource management could adversely affect constitutionally protected Treaty rights or traditional uses. The province’s Aboriginal Consultation Office provides current direction and assesses consultation requirements and adequacy for covered processes.
If a project may affect Aboriginal or Treaty rights, follow the applicable Crown and regulatory process and obtain qualified legal advice. An Indigenous relations consultant can support internal readiness, organizational strategy, communications and relationship practices within their competence. They cannot replace the Crown, a regulator, legal counsel or direct engagement with affected rights-holders. Review the Government of Alberta’s consultation guidance before setting the scope.
When outside advice can help
External advice is useful when leaders need a neutral assessment, several departments must align, the organization is unsure who should participate, or a public commitment lacks an implementation plan. The advisor’s role should be explicit. Ask what decisions they are qualified to support, where their relationships and experience are relevant, how they handle conflicts, and when they would recommend direct community leadership, specialized expertise or legal counsel.
For a deeper fit check, read When to Hire an Indigenous Consultant in Alberta. If the actual need is employee learning, a keynote or cultural programming, review Powwow Times’ services instead of treating a presentation as a strategy engagement.
Frequently asked questions
What should an Indigenous relations strategy include?
It should include a clear mandate, relevant distinctions and relationships, governance, funded priorities, responsible owners, participation and approval roles, deadlines, measures and a review process. The exact workstreams should match the organization rather than copy another company’s plan.
Who should lead an Indigenous relations strategy?
A senior executive should be accountable, with a capable staff lead coordinating the work. Relevant Indigenous people, Nations, communities, organizations or advisors should have clearly agreed roles where the strategy affects them. One Indigenous employee should not be expected to represent everyone or approve work by default.
How long does it take to build an Indigenous relations strategy?
An organization can often define the mandate, governance and first work plan within 90 days. Relationship-based participation, legal or regulatory processes and community-led decisions may require much longer. Set phases and decision points instead of forcing every part of the work into one deadline.
Is a reconciliation action plan the same as an Indigenous relations strategy?
The terms sometimes overlap. A reconciliation action plan often organizes commitments under a reconciliation framework, while an Indigenous relations strategy may cover a broader set of organizational relationships and operations. The label matters less than whether the plan is distinctions-based, properly governed, funded and measurable.
Can a consultant write the strategy without Indigenous engagement?
A consultant can help assess the organization and design an appropriate process. They should not invent community priorities, claim authority they do not hold or use their identity as blanket approval. Who needs to participate depends on the decisions, location, rights, services and relationships in scope.
Build a strategy your organization can carry
A strong Indigenous relations strategy does not end with a polished document. It changes who is involved, how decisions are made, where resources go and how the organization follows through.
Powwow Times is an Indigenous-owned company based in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. Its work across education, cultural programming, events, livestreaming, connections and strategic guidance is grounded in living experience and community benefit. Every consulting conversation begins with fit: the decision, the people affected, the required expertise and the relationships that belong at the table.
Ready to move from commitment to implementation? Contact Powwow Times to discuss an Indigenous relations strategy. Include your organization, location, decision or challenge, current relationships, timeline and internal project owner.
Sources: National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action; Justice Canada: Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples; Justice Canada: Consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples; CanadaBuys: Review a statement of work; CanadaBuys: Specifying evaluation criteria; and Government of Alberta: Indigenous consultations in Alberta.
