I've been fortunate in my career. I spent 25 years in the energy sector—forestry, pulp and paper, uranium-based metal and diamond mining—and that interface or nexus between indigenous knowledge, western knowledge and natural resource development.
I have to say that I'm tired of the narrative that these things are at odds, because if in fact you investigate the true experience and you put the time into those relationships on the land, the solution to natural resource development in a sustainable manner that also provides for economic opportunities is in the braiding of knowledge systems together, and that's including areas where this is most significant, like the oil sands of Alberta.
I've seen it with my own eyes. I am grateful for the patience that indigenous communities and indigenous people in this country have provided to western scientists like me to be patient and to allow us to understand. I truly believe that the solutions to some of our biggest challenges in Canada lie in the braiding of knowledges and deepening the breadth of our understanding to answer those questions in a way that's meaningful and sustainable.