After making the trip from Treaty 8 territory in Northeastern BC, Doig River Chief Trevor Makadahay gave a keynote address at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George on January 18th.
He spoke of past experiences of being left out of resource development planning on his territory, then transitioning that prior reality into a present-day working relationship. Makadahay also spoke of a growing Indigenous autonomy from the federal government partly by developing multiple revenue streams, “This includes participating in the natural resource economy and generating our own wealth through commercial development on our urban reserve in Fort St. John.”
In addition to the importance of partnering with businesses for the advancement of the Doig River Nation, he spoke of teamwork, “You’re only as good as your people, and if you don’t share [what’s] on your mind and get feedback, you’ll never come to some kind of consensus.”
Chief Makadahay’s address has been edited for brevity by CFUR.
