Thursday, February 12
My Cart2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Indigenous Leadership in Land Stewardship: Law and Partnerships
Location: Tradeshow Floor: BUILDEX Main Stage (Booth 843)
- Architecture
- Construction & Trades
- Engineering
- Homebuilding & Renovation
- Project Planning, Procurement, Management & Delivery
- Economics, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management
- Indigenous-Led Projects and Design
Building Type: Commercial, Mixed-Use, Residential: Multi-Unit
As the built sector increasingly acknowledges the importance of reconciliation and collaboration with Indigenous communities, this panel will explore how law, governance, and design intersect in shaping land management and development projects across Canada. A central focus will be on the Sumas First Nation’s groundbreaking Soil Law – a first-of-its-kind initiative in British Columbia that reclaims authority over environmental regulation and resource management on their lands. Panelists will show how the Nation’s leadership, paired with technical expertise, is advancing ecological protection, cultural values, and economic revitalization through this precedent-setting approach.
Pre-registration for this session is required. Admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Speakers
Patrick Stewart Architect, Patrick R. Stewart Architect
Dr. Patrick Stewart is a hereditary chief in the Killerwhale House of Daaxan of the Nisga’a Nation. He is the principal of Patrick R. Stewart Architect, a member of the Architectural Institute of BC and the NWT Association of Architects, a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and a member of the RAIC Executive Committee and Treasurer. He is also co-director of the Indigenous Peoples Work Program for the Union of International Architects.
Jennette Pierre Lands Manager, Sumas First Nation
Jennette possesses over 25 years of extensive experience collaborating with First Nation communities across diverse sectors such as administration, education, economic development, and lands and resources. Her professional journey is marked by specialization in First Nation Law and Policy Development, Land Development, Land Use Planning, Soil Site Management & Remediation, Lands Department Strategizing, and Project Management. Throughout her career, Jennette has successfully overseen projects ranging from contaminated site remediations to flood mitigation and capacity building initiatives. Her deep-rooted connection to her First Nation community provides her with a profound understanding of its dynamics, aspirations, challenges, and opportunities.
Lance Hunt National Lead, Indigenous Relations, Resilience, Arcadis
Lance Hunt is a Professional Chemist with the Association of the Chemical Profession of BC and a Contaminated Sites Qualified Professional with over 20 years of experience conducting environmental site assessments and remediation work within the province. Lance is an Associate Principial and Practice Lead of the Vancouver Environmental Solutions team at Arcadis and is responsible for developing, coordinating, and managing large scale environmental site investigation and remediation programs. Lance has extensive experience conducting environmental site assessments on First Nations and federal lands including historical site research, site investigations, sample collection, contaminated sites remediation, screening level risk assessment, analytical data interpretation, and technical report writing. Over his 20 years of practice, Lance has been working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples from over 40 Nations within Canada.
Arend Hoekstra Partner, Aboriginal Law Group, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Arend Hoekstra*, CPA, CA, is a partner in the Aboriginal Law Group at Cassels. Arend is also a Chartered Professional Accountant. Arend provides advice on the duty to consult, treaty negotiations, project-related environmental and regulatory matters, mining projects, legislative drafting, litigation matters including judicial review proceedings, use of Reserve lands including Section 53(1) easements, Section 28(2) tenures, and rights-of-way, drafting of Impact Benefit Agreements and Capacity Funding Agreements, and financing and acquisition of mineral resource properties. His previous experience includes acting as a Senior Advisor for one of Canada’s largest mines and acting as a controller for a large helicopter services company serving the mineral exploration and mining industry in the NWT. As a Chartered Professional Accountant, Arend worked with governments, including Indigenous governments and communities, across the NWT and Nunavut. Arend earned his J.D. from the University of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration co-conferred by Okanagan College and the University of British Columbia-Okanagan. Arend is recognized as “Up & Coming” by Chambers Canada for his work in Aboriginal Law.
- FREE