On this episode of REALtalk, Annie Korver, Principal at Rise Consulting, joins REALPAC CEO Michael Brooks for a discussion around Indigenous reconciliation in commercial real estate, what economic reconciliation looks like, and building cultural and organizational competency to enable relationship building and reconciliation.

The episode covers:

• The intersection between economic development and reconciliation


• The importance of acknowledging history


• The unique challenges faced by the Indigenous Peoples of Canada


• Treaties between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown


• The land back movement


• How Canadian commercial real estate can integrate Indigenous relations at a strategic level

About Annie Korver:

Annie Korver is a purpose-driven entrepreneur dedicated to enriching relationships between Indigenous and corporate communities. Inspired by reconciliation in Canada and her own Metis ancestry, Annie founded her company Rise Consulting Ltd. (‘Rise”) in 2013 to advance reconciliation and Indigenous inclusion with a focus on economic development.

Bringing together Indigenous and corporate communities to create shared value, Annie champions a values-based approach to strategic inclusion. She creates undisputed space for her clients to realize their vision and establish inclusive relationships, ultimately supporting her clients with reconciliation. Annie has provided leadership to support the success of various Indigenous inclusion, economic development and regulatory activities for organizations such as Trans Mountain, Pembina Pipelines, and Imperial Oil and she is told that the positive energy she brings with her work is welcomed.

Annie’s background in economic development, marketing and communications provides her with a solid foundation for translating multifaceted socio-economic challenges and opportunities, while leveraging the strengths and skills of those around her. Annie holds a Masters of Business Administration and Aboriginal Relations Leadership Certificate from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Tourism Management from Thompson Rivers University and is a certified Public Participation Practitioner through the International Association of Public Participation.

Annie is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, is proud to serve as a Director on the Board with the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business, is the Co-chair of the Young Women in Energy Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Committee, and is a member of the Circle for Aboriginal Relations Society and Canadian Business for Social Responsibility.

Podcast transcript: 

Michael Brooks (REALPAC): Hello, everyone, thanks for listening and welcome to REALtalk, the show that brings you unique insights from leaders in Canadian and international commercial real estate. I’m Michael Brooks, CEO of REALPAC. We are now joined by Annie Korver, who is the Founder of Rise Consulting, which she set up in 2013 to advance reconciliation and Indigenous inclusion with a focus on economic development. She brings together Indigenous and corporate communities to create a values-based approach to strategic inclusion and is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, serves as a director on the board with the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business, is the co-chair of the Young Women in Energy, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Committee, and is a member of the Circle for Aboriginal Relations Society and Canadian Business for Social Responsibility. We are very fortunate to have her join us today for this incredibly important discussion on what Indigenous reconciliation looks like for commercial real estate in Canada. Welcome Annie.

Annie Korver (Rise Consulting): Hi Michael. Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Michael Brooks (REALPAC): All right. Let’s talk about let’s do a definition. Let’s talk about the concept of economic reconciliation, the intersection between economic development and reconciliation. Would you please share a little about what this means?

Annie Korver (Rise Consulting): Sure. Absolutely. Michael, it’s always exciting. And I always appreciate opportunities to talk about the work that I’m involved with and my journey to get here, because it’s been it’s been an exciting one for me and it’s been somewhat linear as my career has grown and as I’ve received education. And it was actually through my MBA, I was completing an MBA at the University of Calgary. I’m actually joining today from my home in Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta, home of the Alberta, the Métis Nation of Alberta region, three of which I’m a proud member. So when I was completing my MBA in 2013, I was focusing on the intersection between economic development. I was working at the city of Calgary at the time in economic development and reconciliation as I was learning about my own Métis ancestry and really as I was learning about the history of Indigenous Peoples in our country and really the notion of rights, be it through that the British North American Act, be it through Section thirty five of our Constitution, I was learning about these things for the first time and I was identifying the intersection between economic development and economic reconciliation. And to really sort of as I journeyed about over the past decade, I’ve really learned that economic inclusion is really advancing community wellness and economic interests and living livelihood in a purposeful way. And we do that through purposeful thought and action based on based on knowledge and based on education.

Michael Brooks (REALPAC): So we get commercial real estate people watching us and listening to us. What’s the opportunity in economic reconciliation for the Canadian commercial real estate industry?

Annie Korver (Rise Consulting): Yeah, regardless of the industry, Michael, the opportunity always begins with understanding. So for your colleagues and members that are that are participating, it’s really about listening and learning and then on reflecting on what that opportunity could be through conversations with Indigenous Peoples and communities that have an interest in the lands and territories where we’re operating. And so this opportunity will vary. It’s not something that we can assume. We have to understand the opportunity through conversation. But I think a similar thread exists in all. And really it’s the notion that reconciliation is relationship. And so truth, reconciliation and justice are really at the heart of the opportunity. And by learning the truth of our history and through careful reflection, we’re able to participate in reconciliation, which is a process of healing relationships that support an equitable, just and inclusive society. And the honorable Murray Sinclair has been involved in a lot of this work. And he encourages us, you know, as Canadians, we must do more than just talk about reconciliation. We have to learn about how to practice that in our everyday lives within ourselves, with our families, in our communities, in our places of work. And I think the opportunity emerges and we get to identify what the things are, where we can actively participate and support economic reconciliation and think about leadership and making policy commitments or participating in community events that allow for a transfer of knowledge about opportunities with operations or projects with our business, where we identify training to employment opportunities or procurement practices, for example.

Michael Brooks (REALPAC): We’re going to come back to that in a few minutes. The land piece is fascinating. I’ve seen a map recently of just how much of Canada is covered by treaties. It’s incredible. And these are the treaties generally negotiated between 1871 and 1920 when I found out from my friend Google and probably but there’s probably more disputed areas and rights still in question than just those treaty areas. How can we talk about Indigenous inclusion and economic reconciliation without talking about the land back movement and the reclamation of Indigenous lands? And how ought commercial real estate to relate to that, especially in jurisdictions like B.C., where there are a number of land claims outstanding? What are your thoughts about that?

Annie Korver (Rise Consulting): That’s a big one, my friend. So Google is right of the treaties that exist. We have early treaties, friendship treaties with the Haudenosaunee. We have early treaties that that exist that were signed. But I think about BC, I guess in particular and really in many other regions in Canada. And our friend Google will give us more information about this as well. But land is unceded and that means that treaty, which is an agreement between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown, has not been signed. And so where land is unseated, Indigenous peoples never ceded or legally signed away their lands to the crown or to Canada. And this is complicated and it takes a lot of time to truly understand this concept, because in colonial ways of sort of thinking and being, you know, we live in systems. And so it’s difficult to think, OK, what was that like hundreds of years ago? And