That's a good question.
When I arrived, in 2014, economic development in the community of Wemotaci was at its lowest level, so we decided to do something about it. The bias against our community was hurting our ability to get projects off the ground. When we put forward our first projects, we would get laughed at during our presentations, even though the projects were well-thought-out and supported by business plans prepared by experts and reviewed by us. It was a very tough time.
Over the years, we gained credibility with federal and provincial institutions, and even financial institutions. Now, when we propose projects, we are taken seriously. We are professional in what we do, and we put together high-quality documentation.
Regardless, bias and fears persist. That's clear even from the interest rates financial institutions offer us. There is still some trepidation, even when the project is sound.
Here's the question: what happens when a non-Indigenous person and an indigenous person bring forward the same project? Are they treated the same? The two realities are entirely different. Let's tell it like it is.