Breaking barriers: For Thomas Benjoe, building Indigenous wealth is a fundamental part of reconciliation – The Globe and Mail
February 26, 2021
Canada’s ongoing reconciliation effort with Indigenous people has so far taken myriad forms, many symbolic: a commissioned report, formal apologies from government and growing public awareness around the issue of land rights. But, as it is understood by many leaders in the Indigenous community, reconciliation will be fundamentally incomplete without economic influence and the ability to establish livelihoods for current and future generations.
With that in mind, in 2010, FHQ Developments was founded by the 11-member First Nations communities of File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council, which represents over 15,000 First Nations citizens and 435,000 acres of reserve lands in Treaty 4 territory (encompassing much of southern Saskatchewan). The alliance’s primary purpose is to build Indigenous wealth and all that entails: equity ownership, the development and prosperity of Indigenous businesses and workers, and crucially, partnership with non-Indigenous businesses to create a pipeline to capital and leadership.
