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Our Story

Sonia was on a mission. She had been around the world looking for a model of economic development that was rooted in values of who we want to be as a people, our relationship with each other, the Earth and all beings. A model that worked and had a shot of continuity on this beautiful planet. Being of Ukrainian heritage (as her first language) and having completed her last year of law school in Argentina, in Spanish, she had the opportunity to work for the Public Defender’s Office in Argentina, for the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine as legal advisor to the Prime Minister, and for the President of the Commission of Human Rights and Justice in Mexico. In 2013, Sonia was working as a finance lawyer at a big Canadian law firm in Toronto, on a six month stint in their Vancouver office’s mining group. As co-chair of the Latin American practice she was working to build relationships between Canada and Latin America. What she saw was a lot of conflict. Nothing seemed to be working.

Then in November of 2013, Sonia met Jerry at the Canadian Aboriginal Mining Association (CAMA) conference in Vancouver. He was this larger than life personality, commanding the room as he walked in. Jerry was serving in his last year as Vice President of CAMA (as founding member, having served for 22 years), along with sitting on half a dozen training and advisory boards in the area of mining.

Earlier that year, he had received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to the inclusion and training of Aboriginal People in the mining industry and was looking to pass on his experience.

Sonia introduced herself to Jerry and learned about how he led in the transformation of his Nation, based on impeccable values and principles of who they were as a people and their responsibility as stewards of the land. Jerry talked about the economy being a means to a healthy and prosperous nation, not an end of itself. He spoke about reinvesting everything back into training his people and building dynamic teams. He spoke about ensuring the Tahltans were decision-makers in how their lands and resources developed. He spoke about their 21 person Tahltan trained environmental and heritage assessment team that evaluated projects based on social, environmental and economic merits. He spoke about how they were not opposed to development, they were authors of what that development looked like. And it worked. 30 years later, they were thriving. As was their environment and their next generation.

Sonia was blown away! A model that finally made sense to her, and it was right here in Canada! Jerry and Sonia spoke over the next couple of days about sharing the Tahltan story with other indigenous communities around the world, to show what was possible.

As a teacher at heart, Jerry is always eager to help others achieve a brighter future for their people.

Two weeks later, at a breakfast pub in Vancouver, Jerry and Sonia sketched out the business plan for the new organization’s mission and vision on the back of a napkin and the Global Indigenous Development Trust was born.

They have since visited and conducted workshops with communities across the Americas and have been invited to countries across Africa, Asia and to Australia. They have been to heights of 5,000 meters deep in the Andes, into the heart of the Amazon and the Central American rainforests. And now they have come full circle back to Canada to support the re-building of Nations on natural principles at home.

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Sonia and Jerry would like to acknowledge GIDT’s incredible Board members that walk the walk of these values on a daily basis.

Sean Willy is a leader who truly stands firm in his values. With more than 25 years’ experience, Sean is leading in the creation of innovative new businesses, partnerships and investment opportunities for indigenous and non-indigenous partners alike. By reinvesting back into people and building strong teams, he is leading the way for green growth, sustainable businesses, jobs and employment opportunities in English River First Nation and across Canada. Sean truly cares about people and is sharing opportunities and his experiences with communities in Canada and around the world.

Mary Boyden  is a heart-centered leader and committed to creating a world that works well for all people. Having cut her teeth in underground mines more than 40 years ago, and having worked in some of the most difficult arenas, from mining to homeless indigenous youth and sex trafficking in the heart of one of Canada’s oldest mining regions, to healing of the land and traditional ceremony, you will never see her without a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone she works with. She is a true bridge between worlds, indigenous and non, spiritual and secular. Mary has been working for the past 8 years on developing ways of bringing together indigenous knowledge with western science to heal and restore the land from more than 100 years of mining in Timmins.

Nalaine Morin works with First Nations across Canada on projects as varied as mining, pipelines and highway infrastructure. She fights unapologetically for what she believes in and garners incredible amounts of respect for her tenacity and skills. From mining executives to First Nations leaders, her reputation as an environmental expert and advisor is unparalleled. Having grown up in a mining community, her technical background combined with being of Tahltan descent has led to her identifying and developing ways to connect and support First Nations traditional knowledge and Western science, effectively managing complicated resource project issues in a cross-cultural setting. Many of the innovative processes she has helped develop have been subsequently adopted for use at the provincial level.

Global Indigenous Trust

Our Vision

Our vision is a global network of healthy, vibrant, thriving communities and people, living their true potential.

info@globalindigenoustrust.org
1801 – 1 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5E1W7

Instagram post 2293349929684329179_1434995279 Join @manariushigua online this Friday for a collective healing from Traditional Healer and Shaman Manari Ushigua of the Sapara tribe from the #amazon! He will be working with medicinal plants from the Rainforest in ceremony via zoom! Click the link in his bio to join from wherever you are. #traditionalhealing #traditionalmedicine #planthealing #indigenousknowedge #indigenouswisdom #happyearthday🌎
Instagram post 2222915360177633308_1434995279 "If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be sure he had help getting up there." - Jerry Asp. We are so proud of our founder Jerry! As a prominent Aboriginal leader he has been fighting for the rights of Indigenous in Canada and abroad most importantly, in mining since he was a teen. Jerry's work was recognized last week through his induction to the Mining Hall of fame! Here is a video of his speech! It has incredible words that speak to teaching industry leaders that mining is not about profits or bottom lines. The purpose of mining is people and building communities that thrive!
Our founder Jerry Asp, a member of the Wolf Clan of the Tahltan First Nation, was nominated for the honour by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada for his lifelong commitment and support for the involvement of Aboriginal peoples in the mining sector.
“I am one of a small handful of Aboriginal inductees to be recognized and inducted. But I fully expect that to change because, over the course of my lengthy career, I have seen transformative change in the ability and capability of Aboriginal communities in Canada to achieve economic stability through participation in the mining sector and partnerships with mining corporations.”- Jerry Asp
Originally from Telegraph Creek, B.C., Jerry has called Whitehorse home for the past 10 years. Over the decades, he’s done everything from working diamond drills to chairing an organization dedicated to assisting Indigenous communities with economic development.
#economicdevelopment #selfdetermination #traditionalknowledge #aboriginalrights
Instagram post 2196680917173575580_1434995279 Was a great talk over breakfast yesterday to see 4 Indigenous leaders leading & innovating the way business is done in this country at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Especially our board member Sean Willy! “We are no longer looking at projects as a consultation check box. We are looking at community projects as the key driver for economic development + innovation in this country. Leaders in Canada need to be visionaries. We cannot move forward without having Indigenous people involved on the land.  We need to have ceremonies to get instructions + authorization on how to move forward. Economic reconciliation means ownership. How are we going to move forward together? “ Thank you @trsmryersonu for having us at your table! #economicreconciliation
Instagram post 2192333298057938637_1434995279 Here is just an update from Bogota, Colombia. Our Peacebuilder @bigmamacita was invited last month to Bogota, Columbia. To lead the Academic Agenda by the Petroleum Association of Colombia and the Canadian Colombian Embassy as a representative of @globalindigenoustrust , Canada and as a PhD Candidate. The purpose of her talk & panel was to discuss the challenges of increased social conflict and inequality in the resource sector. The title was Los Desafios del sector ante el creciente activism y conflictivad social en territorio: The Challenges of the sector amidst growing activism and social conflict in territories. As social conflicts increase in the oil and gas sector, the industry recognizes that it needs to change and adapt its practices. They were looking for academic insight from a Canadian to International perspective as to why social conflicts in the resource sector were increasing in the oil in gas sector. Though this may seem obvious. What are the causes, and how can government + industry respond to resolve these conflicts. What are recommendations we can make for positive community engagement and greater responsibilities + less human rights violations in the sector? We explored what social conflict is, how it can be understood in terms of inequality and causes, and how can industry engage differently with communities to work to resolve conflict, and innovate the industry towards partnership, responsibility and sustainability. Trying to work against polarization of viewpoints and towards dialogue and peaceful resolutions! 💜 Gracias de Colombia y ACP. 
#ilcumbrepetroleoygas
Instagram post 2172162447471980417_1434995279 Friendly reminder on this snowy day to look deeper for the beauty, harmony and interconnections all around us. “See that blade grass, look at that tree, and everything you see. Everything on this Earth is alive and lives. It is you that has to live in harmony with that blade of grass. Please be careful where you step.” – Theresa Day #redxtalks Toronto
Instagram post 2169965057050534042_1434995279 Thank you @ccab_national  for the post, and participating in our conversation last week about the up and coming Indigenous economy in Peru! A very great conversation indeed on their opportunities and challenges – and of course, great to hear from about what is happening with Aboriginal business in Canada.
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Thank you to HudBay and @ccab_National for joining us with these Peruvian community leaders.
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  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Work with Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story

© 2021 Global Indigenous Development Trust

  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
  • What We Do
    • Our Projects
    • Our Impact
    • Our Partners
    • Building a Nation Case Study
    • Events
    • In the Media
  • Work with Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
Global Indigenous Development Trust