Conterra’s principals and affiliated professionals are motivated by their shared belief that Canada’s First Peoples can best realize their community objectives through negotiations, social, economic and governance development plans, initiatives, and partnerships that are controlled by the community.
We work collaboratively with our clients towards the achievement of their self-identified community goals. From design and execution of community plans, through to execution of the resulting initiatives and strategies, Conterra Advisory works as a key partner through every stage of the process, and always through the lens of cultural preservation.
Chris and John began their careers in First Nations issues through negotiation processes - Chris through the Yukon treaty process and John in the BC process. These negotiation engagements expanded beyond treaty to include Canada’s first major project Impact Benefit Agreement, BC’s first Joint Stewardship Agreement and a number of other firsts within a wide spectrum of government to government, private sector and NGO agreements.
There are three unique facets to Conterra’s approach to negotiations. One is that negotiations are set within a community development context and must demonstrate their contribution to achieving the First Nation’s socio-economic, governance, cultural and stewardship goals.
The second unique facet is that Conterra focuses on the design and implementation of a mandate development process to support negotiations that is accountable to the community and is staged to match the different phases of the negotiation process.
Thirdly, Conterra assists the community to engage those people who may be affected by the outcome of the negotiations whether positively or otherwise to ensure that their voices are heard and their interests are fully considered in arriving at an agreement.
This unique approach has produced measurable benefits. Through almost 100 negotiation processes we have never had an agreement that has failed ratification.
Together with a few key First Nation clients, Conterra has developed an Incremental Community Development Strategy that provides the context for negotiations and other initiatives. The Strategy focuses on key measurable goals – healthy, working communities, cultural respect, enhancement and protection, the recognition of appropriate jurisdiction and authorities and the economic, social and governance capacity to continue to work towards and achieve the community objectives over time and under changing circumstances.