How we work.
We are explicit about our methodology because trust is built on transparency. The commitments below are not aspirations — they are how we run engagements, and we invite you to hold us to them.
Conflict-of-Interest policy
No opposing representation on the same project
We will never represent a proponent and a community in negotiation on the same project.
Nation consent governs work on its territory
Where we hold a Nation retainer, we will only accept industry work on that Nation’s territory at the explicit written request of the Nation, with full transparency on both sides.
Firewalled teams for multi-sided work
Where we accept multi-sided work, firewall teams are established with no information flow between them.
Payment sources disclosed at the outset
All sources of payment on every engagement are disclosed to every party at the engagement’s outset.
Conflicts disclosed in writing
We disclose all material conflicts in writing, even where they could be argued to be immaterial.
Anyone can invoke the COI Committee
Any Principal or staff member can invoke our COI Committee to review an engagement. There is no retaliation for doing so.
Data sovereignty
OCAP®-aligned
We align our data practices with the First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession.
Designed for Canadian residency
Our systems are designed to store and process client data on Canadian infrastructure, and we will confirm in writing where your data is processed.
No model training on your data
Your data is never used to train an AI model.
Audit, export, and deletion rights
You can inspect access logs, export your data, and have it deleted, at any time.
Breach notification within 24 hours
If a data breach affects your information, we notify you within 24 hours.
How we use AI
We use Claude (built by Anthropic) to support our consultants on document research, drafting, financial modelling, and tracking. Every output from an AI tool is reviewed and signed off by a named human in our firm before it touches a client.
AI does not consult with Elders, brief Councils, negotiate IBAs, or make decisions about which work we accept. Our systems are designed for Canadian data residency, we will never use your data to train AI models, and you can export or delete it at any time.
Capacity building
Every engagement is designed to leave you more capable than we found you. We publish our methodologies. We document knowledge transfer.
We measure ourselves by community outcomes — jobs created, agreements signed, dollars retained — not by hours billed.