For the past 75 years, the Blood Tribe of southern Alberta has played a key role in the success of Canada’s oil and natural gas sector. Located on Canada’s largest land base for a First Nation, our terrain and geology is unique and diverse, and very attractive to the petroleum industry.
Clayton Blood is general manager of Kainaiwa Resources, a corporation created by the Blood Tribe of Southern Alberta to negotiate successful partnerships with industry and government.
For a long time we watched as development grew all around us. Federal legislation and restrictions limited the Blood Tribe’s active involvement in how our land was used or what it was used for. After years of pressuring the Government of Canada for change, the Blood Tribe was able to create Kainaiwa Resources, become self-determining, and participate in Canada on our own terms.
Kainaiwa Resources has negotiated partnerships with companies we know and trust to ensure great participation in the industry, rather than just being passive royalty collectors. We’ve done our due diligence to ensure the best returns on our investment with minimal liability.
Our relationship with industry has been respectful and beneficial for both the Blood Tribe and our corporate partners. The only time we encounter tension is when the federal government has tried to control development without the Tribe’s input. This often results in delays or inconsistent interpretation of policies.
Many successful partnerships are created when First Nations and industry meet directly, without government involvement. This has led to industry increasing its presence and becoming interactive corporate citizens in the community. And like most of the producing First Nations in Canada, the Blood Tribe shares the same concerns with industry about getting our product to global markets.
There are mixed messages in the media about First Nations’ relationships with industry. Some private-interest groups have tried to use other First Nations to advance their own agendas, with little regard to the lost benefits to those communities, using the sensational headlines to create controversy. We are the stewards of our land and our First Nation. We will be the architects of our own future, especially one that includes energy development.
Clayton Blood,
General Manager Kainaiwa Resources
About Kainaiwa Resources
Kainaiwa Resources is an active member of the Indian Resource Council and a vocal participant in the Joint Technical Committee assisting the Government of Canada in drafting new and relevant regulations governing oil and natural gas development on First Nations lands across Canada.
