“Partnerships with indigenous peoples aren’t a nice-to-do or a box to check. It’s actually required for the strength and longevity of a project to be sustainable.” 

That’s Kluane Adamek, Senior Advisor at Mokwateh, an Indigenous-owned advisory firm, and former Assembly of First Nations Yukon Regional Chief. In the first episode of Critical Supply, Kluane and hosts Shyam Sundaram, Partner, and Jeffrey Berger, Principal, Dalberg Advisors, discuss how mining firms and Indigenous communities can be partners. 

According to Kluane, a good starting point for any firm is knowing the history of the region they’re keen to explore and of the communities that call it home. It’s also crucial for indigenous communities to have a say at all levels of decision-making.  

The mining industry is gradually changing, and there’s a growing number of cases in which the relationships between governments, private firms, and people are more equitable. The episode covers the Selkirk First Nation’s acquisition of the Minto Mine in the Yukon in 2024 and 2025, a model that shows how communities can determine the future of their resources.

Listen now: Spotify | Apple | YouTube 

About Critical Supply 

Critical minerals are central to the energy transition and advanced technologies. While the geopolitical dynamics and environmental and social challenges of critical mineral mining frequently make headlines, we rarely hear about the companies, civil society leaders, and policymakers that are doing the hard work of making supply chains equitable and sustainable.  

In each episode, hosts Shyam Sundaram, Partner, and Jeffrey Berger, Principal, Dalberg Advisors, take one mine, community, company, or deal as a starting point and ask what it reveals about the sector as a whole. They focus on where real progress is taking place, what made it possible, and what’s still hard.