Panel Recordings
Click on a specific title hyperlink to view the recorded panel session
Welcome and Keynote
Honour song by Elder Gordon Yellowman. Welcoming by Taiawagi Helton. Introductory Remarks by Wayne Garnons-Williams. Introduction of Keynote Speaker Bradford W. Morse. Keynote Address by Phil Fontaine.
Panel 1 – USA
Facilitated by Taiawagi Helton. Presented by Dr. Lindsay Robertson, Dr. James Collard, Valerie Devol and Vedrana Milakovic.
Panel 2 – Canada
Facilitated by Bradford W. Morse. Presented by Duane Robson, Jonathan Davey and Wayne Garnons-Williams.
Panel 3 – Aotearoa New Zealand
Facilitated by Dr. Robert Joseph. Presented by Chris Insley, Johnny McGregor and Te Taru White.
Panel 4 – Australia
Presented by Darren Godwell and Kerry Arabena. Wrap up by Taiawagi Helton and Wayne Garnons-Williams.
Phillip (Phil) Fontaine, OC OM
The youngest of an Ojibway family of 12 children, Mr. Phil Fontaine has advanced the cause of First Nations people since he was, at the age of 28, first elected Chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation. Mr. Fontaine served for an unprecedented three consecutive terms as Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. He is Canada’s longest serving National Chief, having been elected three times to lead the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), which represents all First Nations across Canada. Mr. Fontaine was appointed Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Claims Commission. Under his watch, the land claim of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation was resolved, resulting in a $94.6 million agreement for the Saskatchewan band. Among his many accomplishments are his successful negotiation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, and his negotiation of an accord with the Government of Canada to establish the independent Specific Claims Tribunal of Canada.
Mr. Fontaine is the owner of Ishkonigan Inc., a company specializing in Indigenous engagement, consultation and negotiation. He is Special Advisor to the Royal Bank of Canada. He is Senior Advisor at Norton Rose OR LLP (formerly Ogilvy Renault) to Canadian and international clients on First Nations matters, including Aboriginal law, energy, environmental and mining and resources.
Mr. Phil Fontaine has dedicated himself to the advancement of Indigenous peoples abroad as well as at home. A survivor of residential school abuse, Mr. Fontaine brought his own horrendous experiences to national attention in 1990, triggering a fundamental reëvaluation of Canadian history. Mr. Fontaine’s leadership, and his own disclosures, triggered class action 7 lawsuits across the nation from which he negotiated Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. This settlement included establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which awarded over $5.6 billion in compensation for survivors of the 150-year long Indian Residential School tragedy. This was the largest settlement ever, for the largest human rights violation in Canadian history. During Mr. Fontaine’s third term as National Chief of the AFN, he negotiated an accord with the Canadian government that resulted in new legislation, jointly drafted by AFN and the Government of Canada, to establish the Specific Claims Tribunal, a Superior Court of Record by statute with appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal, staffed by Superior Court justices, members from across the country who can issue monetary awards when claims are upheld.
Mr. Fontaine recently met with Pope Francis to engage with those aspects of the Vatican’s organizational and legal structure that stand in the way of a full apology on behalf of the Church. He is also discussing a renunciation of the Papal Bulls of 1455 and 1493, which sparked the still-prevailing Doctrine of Discovery and the denial of Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty over their lands. Mr. Fontaine continues to advocate for reconciliation globally in all former colonies.
Mr. Phil Fontaine is an Officer of the Order of Canada (OOC), and has received many awards, including Member of Order of Manitoba, a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Equitas Human Rights Education Award, the Distinguished Leadership Award from the University of Ottawa, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Mr. Fontaine holds 18 honorary doctorates from universities in Canada and the United States.
Gordon L. Yellowman, Sr.
Gordon Yellowman, Sr., is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. He has extensive knowledge of Cheyenne history, customs, traditions and religious beliefs. Has 20+ years, experience working and administering federal and tribal programs. Gordon has curated 5 exhibitions on various cultural and art topics of Cheyenne and Arapaho arts and traditional arts. He is co-author of numerous exhibition catalogs and scholarly texts. Most recent the Donald Danforth Jr., Collection, at the St. Louis Art Museum St. Louis, Missouri.
- Currently serves as Assistant Executive Director of Education, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
- 2015-19 Member, Native American Leadership Council, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
- 2016 September, Essay Published for Plains Indian Art of the Early Reservation Era: The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
- 2016 “Honored One” Sovereignty Symposium, Sovereignty Inc., OKC, Okla.
- 2012 “Honored One” Red Earth, Inc., Red Earth Arts Festival.
Taiawagi Helton, W. DeVier Pierson Professor of Law
In 2001 Taiawagi Helton joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he teaches environmental law, property law, and Indian law. His research emphasizes environmental and natural resources issues relating to Native Americans, as well as nation building in Indian country.
Helton began his legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Robert H. Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He has served as a Special Justice for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Supreme Court (2004-2008) and as a member of the Board of Directors of Oklahoma Indian Legal Services. In 2012, Helton received the O.U. Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching, the University’s highest award for teaching excellence.
Helton earned his Master of Laws degree from Yale Law School in 2001. In 1999 he received a juris doctor degree with highest honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Tulsa Law Journal and earned membership in the Order of the Curule Chair.
Dr. Lindsay Robertson, Senior Legal Advisor to the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, United Nations
Professor Lindsay G. Robertson joined the law faculty in 1997. He teaches courses in Federal Indian Law, Comparative and International Indigenous Peoples Law, Constitutional Law and Legal History and serves as Faculty Director of the Center for the Study of American Indian Law and Policy and Founding Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic.
Professor Robertson was Private Sector Advisor to the U.S. Department of State delegations to the Working Groups on the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2004-06) and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2004-07) and from 2010-12 was a member of the U.S Department of State Advisory Committee on International Law. In 2014, he served as advisor on Indigenous peoples law to the Chair of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. He has spoken widely on international and comparative indigenous peoples law issues in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
In 2014, he was the recipient of the first David L. Boren Award for Outstanding Global Engagement. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute and serves as a justice on the Supreme Court of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Professor Robertson is the author of Conquest by Law (Oxford University Press 2005).
Dr. James Collard, Director – Economic Development, Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Dr. Collard is the Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN). In this capacity he evaluates and facilitates business development proposals and tribal franchise opportunities. He also compiled and manages the CPN Economic Development Strategy. He is currently developing Iron Horse, a rail-anchored industrial park that serves as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment and Import/Export Center for U.S. domestic companies. Dr. Collard has initiated and packaged numerous economic development projects and agreements between multiple governmental entities and businesses. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council. He is also on the Executive Committee of the International Inter-tribal Trade & Investment Organization (IITO). Dr. Collard is the Past Chair of the OK Governor’s International Team and is a member of the Oklahoma District Export Council. Dr. Collard has traveled extensively internationally on business and as a participant on trade missions and diplomatic delegations. He is also the co-founder and chair of the Tribal-Municipal Dialogue, a group dedicated to increasing cooperation between tribal & local governments. He is currently working with the University of Oklahoma – College of Law on Indigenous Human Rights issues.
Valerie Devol, Managing Partner, Devol and Associates
Valerie Devol is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has a MBA from the University of Missouri, where she also accomplished a JD as well as a LLM in Taxation. She has practiced law for twenty years. Since 2013, Ms. Devol has been the owner and managing partner of Devol and Associates, a full-service boutique law firm, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Her fields of expertise include business and personal tax law, estate and tax planning, and resolving myriad state and federal tax controversies. Ms. Devol is also accomplished in tribal, municipal and business development law – for established as well as start-up businesses. She frequently speaks on issues of taxation and government action and is a vibrant contributor to Internal Revenue Service and Small Business Association rule-making efforts affecting business regulations.
Vedrana Milakovic, Trade Planning & Economic Development Expert, CPN
Born in Bosnia and raised in Sweden, Vedrana has both an Undergraduate and a Master’s Degree in International Business from Oklahoma Baptist University. After receiving her undergraduate degree and working a year at Arvest Bank, Vedrana moved back to Sweden to work for Retail Innovation HTT AB. Retail Innovation develops fiscal solutions with secured technology intended for sales recording systems used in different business sectors. Working for Retail Innovation, Vedrana gained five years of experience in international trade. Ms. Milakovic speaks three languages (Swedish, Bosnian, English). Currently, Vedrana works for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation as an Administrative Research Analyst and is a Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) through NCBFAA. Vedrana is passionate about Foreign Direct Investment, FTZ administrative paperwork and helping companies save money through Product Development, duty cost-saving strategies, such as changes in material, pricing, design, and marketing. Ms. Milakovic receiving her designation as CCS take her one step closer to becoming a foreign trade zone expert.
Panel 2 – Canada
Bradford W. Morse, Professor of Law, Past Dean of Law, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University
B.A. (Rutgers University), LL.B. (UBC), LL.M. (York University). Dean and Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, B.C., Canada 2015 – . Formerly Dean of Law at Te Piringa – Faculty of Law, University of Waikato 2009-2014 and continuing as part-time Professor of Law 2014 – ; Professor of Law, University of Ottawa from 1976 – 2013 and Professor Emeritus since 2014. He has previously served as Executive Director, Native Legal Task Force of B. C. 1974-75; Research Director, Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba 1988-91; Chief of Staff to Hon. Ronald A. Irwin, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs 1993-96. Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowship in 1997 at Oklahoma City University. Publications: over 100 books, articles, book chapters and commission reports. He has been a legal advisor and negotiator for many First Nations and national and regional Aboriginal organizations in Canada since 1974 as well as Consultant to various royal commissions, governments and Indigenous organisations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He has appeared as an Expert Witness before the Waitangi Tribunal (NZ), Parliamentary and Legislative Committees (Canada) and other administrative tribunals predominantly on Indigenous rights and environmental law issues.
Duane Robson, Consul And Senior Trade Commissioner for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma And Texas
Duane Robson (University of British Columbia 1995) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2001. In Canada, Mr. Robson has held a number of positions in Ottawa. He has also served abroad as Second Secretary (Investment) in Tokyo, Counsellor (Science and Technology) in Tokyo, Consul and trade commissioner in Seattle, Consul and senior trade commissioner in Guangzhou. Most recently, Mr. Robson was Director and senior trade commissioner of the Canadian Trade Office in Taiwan. He is married to Akane Morii, and they have a son. Mr. Robson replaces Dina Santos.
Jonathan Davey, Vice President – Indigenous Financial Services, Scotiabank
Jonathan Davey is the National Director of Aboriginal Financial Services at the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank). He works with Indigenous communities and corporations to find banking solutions and wealth management options to help Nations achieve their respective visions for future generations. Before joining Scotiabank Jonathan practiced law for several years as Crown Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada (DOJ) and served as the Special Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs within the DOJ.
Jonathan is also a Captain with The Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment) of the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserve. He has held multiple leadership positions with the unit since receiving his commission and currently serves as the Regimental Operations Officer. In his capacity as an armoured reconnaissance officer Jonathan has been appointed as an Aide de Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario by Her Honour.
Jonathan holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Cornell University, where he was a Cornell Institute for Public Affairs Fellow, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a First Class Honours degree in Business Communications from Brock University. He has been inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration and is an Osgoode Hall Alumni Gold Key recipient. For several years he has served as the Vice-Chair of the Equity Advisory Group within the Law Society of Ontario where he is a member in good standing. In 2019 he was selected as an Action Canada Fellow.
Jonathan is a proud member of the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation and now resides in Toronto, Ontario with his wife Caroline.
Wayne Garnons-Williams, Chair of International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization
Wayne is the founding President of International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization, Senior Lawyer and Principal Director of the law firm Garwill Law Professional Corporation and leads an international business entitled Indigenous Sovereign Trade Consultancy Ltd. specializing in Tribal Trade and Sustainable Economic Development.
He is past Chair of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Appeal Tribunal, past Chair of the National Council of Federal Aboriginal Employees is currently Board Chair of the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and is currently on the board of directors of the International Law Association – Canada Chapter, the Council of the Great Lakes Region and is one of the founding members of the Government of Canada, Global Affairs Working Group on Indigenous International Trade.
Wayne is also a Research Fellow specializing in International Comparative Indigenous law at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law. He was appointed by Order in Council as a member to them NAFTA Chapter 19 Trade Remedies roster and then appointed in 2020 as a CUSMA Advisory Committee Member on Private Commercial Disputes, Article 31.22.
Wayne is the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business 2019 Award Winner for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations, the 2020 Queen’s University Alumni Award winner as well as the recipient of the 2020 Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) – International Legal Specialist in Peace, Justice and Governance Award. Wayne is proud to be Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Moosomin First Nation.
Dr. Robert Joseph, Faculty of Law, University of Waikato
Dr Joseph is Māori from the Tainui, Tūwharetoa, Kahungunu, Rangitāne and Ngāi Tahu tribes. Dr Joseph is a Senior Lecturer at Te Piringa-Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato, he was admitted to the Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 1998, and he completed his PhD in law and Māori governance at the University of Waikato in 2006. Dr Joseph was a senior research fellow for the Te Mātāhauariki Research Institute under the leadership of Judge Michael Brown, and in the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori Office at the University of Waikato under Dr Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
Dr Joseph is the current director of both Te Mata Hautū Taketake – the Māori and Indigenous Governance Centre (MIGC), and the Canada-New Zealand Studies Unit at Waikato University, he was the Chair of the Māori Governance Working Group Committee established by the New Zealand Government and Māori Economic Development Task Force, the Ministry for Māori Development – Te Puni Kokiri, and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment in 2012, and he has been a trustee on numerous Māori trusts and organisations.
Dr Joseph is a former Fulbright and Claude McCarthy Scholar, an expert witness, licenced researcher, and legal historian in the Waitangi Tribunal; a former Vice President of the Battle of Orākau Heritage Society Inc., he is the New Zealand representative on a number of international organisations including the Association for Canadian Studies in Australia and New Zealand (ACSANZ), the International Indigenous Governance Consortium (IIGC), the International Indigenous Trade and Investment Organisation (IITIO), and he is also currently researching and working with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development (HPAIED), the Native Nations Institute (NNI) at the University of Arizona, and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute (AIGI) at Australia National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia. Dr Joseph is moreover, a recently appointed member of the New Zealand Government Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade-Māori Taumata committee for dealing with Māori and international free trade agreements which compliments his work role in IITIO.
Chris Karamea Insley, Chair, Te Taumata
Chris is a seasoned board director on a range of public and private boards, and Māori trusts and incorporations. He is a proven company executive with international experience, with an ability to take a broad perspective on issues and work across cultures. Chris is an expert in creating and managing international commercial ventures, and a pioneer of Innovation and Technology development projects.
His long list of specialised credentials have a strong focus on climate-change, sustainability and Māori development. Chris has an undergraduate Degree in Business (finance major), a Masters Degree in Business with Distinction. Post graduate diplomas in Marketing and Logistics and Business Research and completed Executive Education Development programs in Global strategy and International Finance at Harvard Business School.
Hone (Johnny) McGregor, Board Director, Wakatū Corporation
Hone (Johnny) McGregor, board director on the Wakatū Incorporation and representative for Te Tauihu on the executive for the Federation of Māori Authorities.
Johnny was previously an Associate Director of Wakatū. He is a Kono Director, and also sits on the Audit & Risk Committee and Chairs the Human Resource Committee. Johnny’s professional qualifications include a Masters in Education Research. Johnny has extensive experience in senior leadership roles across Aotearoa.
Ta Taru White, Director, Te Taru White Consultancy Limited
Te Taru has tribal affiliations to several of the main tribes of Aotearoa New Zealand: Te Arawa, Tainui and Ngati Porou. He has a wide range of senior executive experience from scientific and applied research to indigenous socio-economic development nationally and internationally including cultural leadership of the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Maori, Arts and Crafts Institute, Te Puia.
He is passionate about Maori self- determination and breaking the cycles of dependency and has taken this philosophy to the many roles he has had as a Chairman and Trustee on numerous Maori Land Trusts and Incorporations within the Te Arawa Confederation of tribes including Senior Executive roles within Government in Maori development policy areas.
Te Taru is fortunate to have been able to share his experiences with Indigenous First Nations people particularly in Canada and Australia over the years. In 1996 he facilitated a First Nations Trade Mission from Canada to Aotearoa New Zealand as part of a cultural exchange and built on this relationship over the following twenty years through ongoing cultural exchanges. In 2007 he facilitated a Trade Mission to Canada (British Columbia and Alberta) from the Tainui tribe led by the Maori King and he joined a Canadian First Nations Trade Mission to China in 2011. These exchanges with First Nations were founded on similar cultural/spiritual values, impacts of colonisation and desires for self-determination.
In more recent times, Te Taru facilitated discussions towards the formation of Te Taumata, a lead player in the co-design and co-creation of trade policies and opportunities as they affect Maori. Te Taumata had a significant impact on recent Trade negotiation outcomes with the United Kingdom and is actively engaged in other important Free Trade Agreements.
Te Taru is also an experienced Board Director both in the private and public sector domain and has always considered these roles to be opportunities to influence change from a Maori perspective. He is currently an elected member of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (a significant environmental regulatory authority) and is an appointed Director on the Board of Quayside Holdings limited who are the major shareholder of the Port of Tauranga. He is also a Director on Unity Credit Union the largest Credit Union in Aotearoa
Darren Godwell, Chief Executive Officer, i2i Global
Darren Godwell is a social entrepreneur and executive leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the corporate, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors in Australia. His work currently focuses on Economic development, enterprise development, investment, strategy, business development, trade and exports. His clients have included the National Land Council, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, and the National Rugby League. He is part of i2i Development Global, a company of consultants, advisors and other professionals from indigenous communities offering their services to and for indigenous peoples around the world. He previously worked extensively with indigenous communities, as CEO of The Stronger Smarter Institute—an organization committed to the development of Australian indigenous youth— and as a Director at Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island Legal Services. Darren previously served as an advisor to the World Bank and as a management consultant with media company Bertelsmann.
Kerry Arabena, Managing Director, Karabena
A descendant of the Meriam people from the Torres Strait, Kerry’s work has brought her to the forefront of Indigenous affairs in Australia. A former social worker with a Doctorate in Environmental Science, Kerry has held senior positions including Chair of Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne, Executive Director of First 1000 Days Australia, CEO of the Lowitja Institute and Director of Indigenous Health Research at Monash University. Internationally, Kerry has held senior positions with Ecohealth International, consulted for the World Health Organisation and completed a Fellows program with the Rockefeller Foundation.
With an extensive background in public health, administration, community development and research, Kerry has led a wide range of organisations and committees. Currently a Director of IgNITE, Kerry holds an honorary professorial position with the University of Melbourne, manages her burgeoning consulting, publishing and coaching companies and has several entrepreneurial programs in development.
