The Northeast Superior (NES) region of Ontario is a place of abundant forests and freshwater, and home to a powerful nexus of First Nations. When the 2008 financial crisis caused a wholesale shutdown of the natural resource-based economy in the region, these Nations realized that they would need to come together and create new opportunities for their people. In response, the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs Forum (Chiefs’ Forum) was formed, a political body comprised of leaders from the region’s six First Nations. Their mandate was to find an alternative economic model to support their communities, and Ecotrust Canada’s approach to building a conservation economy resonated with their vision. In 2012, the Chief’s Forum invited Ecotrust Canada to the region, and ...
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