Case Studies
The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)
A multi-year partnership advancing Indigenous leadership and ownership of electricity infrastructure in Canada.
CLIENT
The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)
DATE
2023 – Present
INDUSTRY
Electricity Infrastructure, Indigenous Economic Development
The Partner
The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) is a national, First Nation-led non-profit organization representing over 180 First Nations across Canada. FNMPC supports its members to safeguard their lands and waters and pursue equity ownership opportunities in large-scale infrastructure and resource developments.
The Need
Canada’s unprecedented growth in electricity is driving investment in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. Meeting federal and global climate commitments will require a rapid expansion of clean electricity systems, much of which would be built on Indigenous traditional territories.
Simultaneous to this growth in electricity, Indigenous Nations are increasingly seeking meaningful ownership, governance authority, and long-term economic participation in energy projects, rather than limited or transactional benefit-sharing models. FNMPC identified a need for an Indigenous-led strategy that could both articulate the case for Indigenous leadership in electrification and provide governments, utilities, and industry with clear, actionable pathways to remove barriers to Indigenous ownership of electricity infrastructure.
The Solution
Mokwateh partnered with FNMPC through a multi-year, multi-phase engagement that has evolved from strategy development into rollout to key audiences.
Phase 1: Strategy Development (2023–2024)
Mokwateh supported the co-development of the National Indigenous Electrification Strategy, grounded in jurisdictional analysis, literature review, and Indigenous-led expert roundtables. These engagements surfaced key challenges and solutions related to capital access, regulation, utility structures, procurement, and Indigenous consent, while positioning Indigenous Nations as leaders in Canada’s net-zero electricity transition.
Phase 2: National Engagement & Adoption (2024–2025)
Building on the Strategy, Mokwateh supported FNMPC in sharing the findings with governments, regulators, utilities, industry, and Indigenous leadership. This phase focused on advancing Strategy recommendations through briefings and speaking engagements. The Strategy reached over 300 Indigenous organizations through in-person and virtual engagement across Canada and internationally.
Phase 3: Applied Tools & Market Guidance (2025–Present)
The partnership has continued into applied implementation, supporting FNMPC with public speaking, research, and publications that support the Strategy principles.
The Bridge We Built
This ongoing partnership has helped shift national conversations on electrification from consultation-based approaches toward Indigenous leadership and ownership. The work has informed policy discussions while equipping Indigenous Nations with clearer frameworks to evaluate and pursue electricity opportunities aligned with their rights, priorities, and long-term economic goals.
