At the Nation2Nation conference in Kitimat, academic and policy expert Ken Coates shared a powerful message about rural Canada’s changing landscape and the critical role of Indigenous partnerships.
Coates, a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, has spent decades researching Indigenous–Crown relations, northern development, and rural economies.
He told the audience that Canada is in the middle of a “quiet struggle” — one where urban centers are growing rapidly while rural and northern communities, including many First Nations, face population decline and economic marginalization.
Coates said prosperity in Canada has always depended on resource-producing regions like the North, yet their contributions are increasingly overlooked.
He called for a shift from “consultation” to true partnership with Indigenous nations, saying reconciliation must include shared decision-making and development that benefits everyone.
He pointed to examples where First Nations and local governments work together successfully, adding that the future of Canada depends on revitalizing small towns and rural economies alongside Indigenous communities.
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