Indigenous people have a special relationship with the land. Our territories have shaped our language , culture and traditions. The creator has endowed us with great natural wealth and we are obligated to protect it.

But we also need to use our natural resources to survive and thrive. The vast majority of us now live in a modern way. We all use energy, plastics, wood, metals, and other products in our daily lives. Many Indigenous communities are located in rural and remote areas and depend more on fossil fuels for affordable, reliable energy than most other places.

As long as we all rely on these materials and products, we prefer that they be developed and produced in Canada, with the ownership or partnership of Indigenous peoples, so we can benefit economically from our own lands and territories and provide stewardship over their development.

Although we accept that resource development has unavoidable impacts on the environment, we support any efforts that reduce the human impact on our lands, animals, and air. Many of us are involved in environmental impact assessment and remediation activities for the resource industry.

We will advocate for better and more responsible ways to get the materials that we need for transportation, shelter, food, health care, communications, and recreation.