Reconciliation Is Good Business: The Cost of Waiting vs. the Power of Acting Now

Reconciliation Is Good Business: The Cost of Waiting vs. the Power of Acting Now

If you're tired of "Trump Economics"—where division, isolation, and short-term gain overshadow long-term prosperity—there’s a smarter, more inclusive economic model already thriving in Canada. Let me tell you about it!

In 2022, Indigenous communities in Canada generated $60.2 billion in Gross Domestic Income—an increase of nearly 10% in just one year. Since 2012, the Indigenous economy has grown by a staggering 74.7%, far outpacing the national average. And we continue to rise!

Let that sink in.

This isn’t just economic data. It’s a wake-up call.

It’s proof that Reconciliation is not just a moral imperative—it’s a missed business opportunity for those still sitting on the sidelines.

Don’t believe me? Statistics Canada released its Indigenous Peoples Economic Account Report April 16, 2025- check it out for yourself.

If You’re New Here: Welcome. We Need You.

If this is your first time seriously considering partnership with Indigenous Peoples, you’re not late—but it’s time to start walking. The momentum is already here, and it’s building.

Indigenous communities aren’t waiting for the systems to catch up. We’re building capacity. We’re asserting economic sovereignty. We’re innovating across sectors.

Here’s what the numbers show:

The Indigenous Economic Surge

• $60.2 billion in Gross Domestic Income (2022)

• +74.7% growth since 2012

• 887,000 Indigenous jobs in 2022—up 29.5% in a decade, more than double the national rate

• Top contributors: Public administration, construction, arts, mining, energy

• Workforce shifts: More Indigenous professionals over 45, and a growing share with post-secondary credentials

These numbers don’t just represent growth—they represent resilience, entrepreneurship, and readiness.

The Cost of Not Doing Reconciliation

Too often, industry and government approach Reconciliation like a box to tick or a “nice-to-have” value. But here’s the truth: not investing in Reconciliation has a cost—and it’s rising.

• Mistrust costs money: Projects stall or fail when Indigenous voices are excluded or consulted too late.

• Conflict erodes reputations: Public protests, legal action, and community opposition delay timelines and damage brands.

• Inequity limits innovation: When Indigenous entrepreneurs, youth, and experts are not at the table, everyone loses insight, creativity, and market opportunity.

The price of staying disconnected is greater than the investment it takes to do the work properly.

Business Reconciliation: What It Looks Like

Reconciliation in business means more than acknowledging the land. It means sharing the land—and the wealth that comes from it.

It looks like:

• Co-creating joint ventures where Indigenous communities are equity partners, not afterthoughts

• Embedding Indigenous procurement in supply chains, not as exceptions, but as standard practice

• Transforming RFPs to create pathways for Indigenous businesses and build long-term wealth

• Showing up early, listening deeply, and designing projects with Indigenous goals, values, and governance in mind

This is what I call “Giving-Kindness-to-Each-Other Economics”—a model where relationships come first, and results follow.

Why Now Is the Time

You don’t need perfect data to act. The data we have is already clear: Indigenous Peoples are leading economic transformation in Canada. And the private sector has a choice: continue to profit from exclusion, or step into partnership and walk forward together.

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to begin.

A Call to Action

Whether you’re in construction, finance, agriculture, tourism, tech, or energy—the Indigenous economy is rising. Now is the time to build with us. Not just because it’s right—but because it’s smart.

Let’s move from performative to transformative.

Let’s stop talking about Reconciliation and start investing in it.

Because in the end, true Reconciliation is shared success. And with the current economic challenges Canada is facing, partnering with Indigenous Peoples isn’t just good ethics—it’s essential economics.