Jacobs urges First Nations to ask for various benefits throughout infrastructure projects
By Sam Laskaris
NIAGARA FALLS – Michael Jacobs has been an advisory consultant to First Nations leaders for over a quarter century now.
Jacobs, a Curve Lake First Nation member, is also the CEO of an advisory consultancy called Cambium Indigenous Professional Services. He was also a featured speaker at this year’s Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC) conference, which concluded on May 13 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Jacobs spoke at a session titled, Preparing your community to prosper from infrastructure projects, where his presentation provided details on how First Nations can enjoy various benefits for infrastructure projects that occur within their traditional territories.
“Our world is changing today in the way that we are included,” Jacobs said. “And what I mean by we, our communities, our First Nation communities, are included in infrastructure projects, in the economies of First Nations infrastructure projects.”
Jacobs mentioned upcoming Ring of Fire and high-speed rail projects that will be happening in the province.
“These are large infrastructure projects that are going to be impacting our communities,” he said, adding that it’s important to know how to economically benefit from some of those.
He further added that it’s crucial for First Nations to look for employment opportunities and sub-contracts throughout the projects, then also ask for a share of the profits.
“If they’re going to generate their own wealth on our traditional territories, why can’t they share some of that profit?” he said of non-Indigenous companies.
Jacobs believes it is unwise for First Nations to simply stand on the sidelines and let others dictate what happens with projects on their lands.
“What we need to start to do is to begin to place ourselves into these spaces,” he said. “We need to be able to take some of that money and extract it for us in as many different ways as we possibly can.”
For example, Jacobs said First Nations can put their own price tag on a consultation process.
“These people have millions and millions and millions of dollars tied up in their projects,” he said. “And they need them to move forward. And by the way, this is only one tiny step in the move forward process. We’re not giving it up. We’re not saying that you’re going to be able to do the project. But we’re saying, ‘Just to talk to us, there’s a fee’.”
Jacobs said there’s no need for First Nations to be shy about dealing with major non-Indigenous businesses.
“They’re choosing not to include us the way we want to be included,” he said. “They’re trying to include us the way they’re being told to include us. There’s a huge difference.”
Jacobs said projects on First Nations land will be coming fast and furious in the upcoming years, noting that it is crucial for First Nations officials to be ready to deal with these initiatives. He does not believe it is acceptable to simply have the thinking that it takes a long time to get things approved or done on a First Nation.
“We’re losing out because of it,” Jacobs said. “The decisions are happening, whether we’re at the table or not. We need to be ready to be at the table with some foundational stuff.”
This marked the 30th year of the OFNTSC conference. The organization, which provides technical advisory services to First Nations throughout Ontario, was established in 1995.
This year’s conference, held at the Sheraton Fallsview, was called TechNations 2025 – Empowering Future Generations: 30 Years of Service and Innovation.