Glenn Nolan is a strong advocate for sharing information between the mining industry and First Nation communities. He has worked hard at building bridges and links for greater information sharing between industry, government, and First Nations. Nolan has been a member of the National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative for the past four years, where he continues to speak on behalf of the First Nation communities who are directly impacted by closed mines on or near their traditional territories. He is a director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and is a member of the Aboriginal Affairs committee, which promotes greater involvement and inclusion in the mining industry for First Nation communities. He founded the Learning Together mining conference, with the purpose of building greater awareness of First Nation issues and expectations relating to the mining industry.

Besides his advocacy work in mining, Nolan is the Chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation, located in Northern Ontario, and through his business experience has grown a number of community owned businesses operated by the community development corporation. 

Engaging First Nations Communities

Abstract: Today, more than any other time in recent history, aboriginal communities are looking for ways to be understood as more resource development companies continue to explore and develop Canada’s vast resource poten-tial.

Recent Supreme Court rulings have affirmed the need to engage aboriginal communities early on in resource development projects. There are many conflicting ideas on how, who, and when to engage. Given the large number of communities and varied cultures, each resource devel-opment company must equip itself with a better understanding of the people they are planning to work with.

The lecture will begin with a basic historical perspective on treaties and the various societies across Canada. We will also explore the current situation many communities find themselves in today. Building a meaningful relationship with a community is the founda-tion for a lasting partnership. Every community is unique and every approach to engage communities must be just as unique. The lec-ture will outline some basic steps that can lead to a better relation-ship building process between the communities and companies.