Shared Governance, Shared Success: Indigenous Leadership in Canada's Largest Copper Investment 

While institutional investors are interested in gaining exposure to Canadian critical minerals, the execution risks still give many pause. Concerns around social licence, regulatory timelines, Indigenous territorial considerations, and environmental opposition continue to weigh on investment decisions. Traditional consultation models often don’t create the conditions for meaningful partnership; they can leave Indigenous communities without early, sustained involvement in decisions, while investors face uncertainty related to legal, regulatory, and timeline risks.

In response to these challenges, the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly (CNA) and Teck Resources adopted a modernised, partnership-driven approach to the Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension project in central British Columbia, on Nlaka’pamux Territory. Built on sustained relationship building, the model placed collaboration at the forefront.

To enhance decision-making, the CNA, in partnership with Teck, undertook and supported extensive community engagement to ensure that community voices were meaningfully heard and reflected throughout the process. This was in recognition that communities have the inherent right to be consulted with the objective of achieving free, prior, and informed consent. CNA led an nłeʔképmx Impact Assessment and authored nłeʔképmx Knowledge directly into the project’s Environmental Assessment application—critical inputs that contributed to the timely issuance of permits for a $2.4 billion (CAD) extension.

At the heart of this partnership was a shift beyond traditional consultation toward shared governance. By working together from the outset and honoring constitutional obligations through a codesigned process, the partnership delivered the kind of clarity and certainty required to support long-term investment—demonstrating what’s possible when Indigenous Nations and industry cocreate the path forward.

As an investor, there are a range of risks in the mining industry that remain top of mind, including:

• Regulatory delays and permitting timelines

• Achieving and maintaining Indigenous consent and social license

• Meeting ESG credentials and certifications

The success of the Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension is rooted in the strength of partnership, collaboration, and trust with Indigenous partners—directly addressing and mitigating several of these investor concerns.

In this dialogue, panellists will share practical and innovative examples of how the partnership between CNA and Teck has reduced key risks for both investors and the communities. Examples include:

• While the regulatory environmental assessment process only contemplated the impacts of net‑new activities for the brownfield extension, CNA sought a broader assessment—from pre‑mining conditions onward—to support their ability to provide informed consent. In response, CNA led an nłeʔképmx Impact Assessment and authored nłeʔképmx Knowledge directly into the project’s Environmental Assessment application.

• Recognising that Environmental Assessment conditions are limited in scope, Teck and CNA worked collaboratively to revitalise their agreement to address broader community concerns not covered through regulatory processes.

It was rooted in a shared strategy to advance the project through a process that acknowledged, addressed, and mitigated historical concerns, while co‑developing a model for partnership moving forward.

Investors looking for greater certainty often haven’t yet witnessed the strength of these relationships firsthand. There is real opportunity for shared understanding here: the more we walk this path together, the more clearly the long‑term benefits become visible.

• How co-development and true collaboration works in practice: CNA held the pen on environmental assessment sections instead of just commenting, and led an nłeʔképmx Impact Assessment.

• Why partnership delivers faster approvals: An eighteen‑year mine life extension was secured through multi‑party consent that avoided prolonged legal challenges.

• The economic structure: Revenue sharing, along with procurement and employment programs, supports both community and industry priorities, while also contributing to long‑term economic visioning beyond the life of the mine.

• How its going in project construction phase and early implementation of agreements: CNA and Teck continue to work together to build shared opportunities and deepen a long‑term journey of Reconciliation.

• Replicability for investors: How this governance model can be adapted to lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth projects across Indigenous territories.