Indigenous Economic Development 2025

Course Chair
Adam Munnings — Munnings Law, West Vancouver

About the Course Chair
Adam Munnings is Anishnaabe from Curve Lake First Nation and has been a lawyer practicing in a boutique Aboriginal law firm since 2010. He has acted as general counsel for Aboriginal communities and their organizations in a wide range of matters, including economic development, specific claims, reserve land management, employment, governance, accommodation of Aboriginal rights, and negotiations and agreements with government and industry.

In June 2015, he completed his MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership at SFU, as a way to better support his client's business needs. This paved the way for founding Munnings Law in 2016, a boutique Aboriginal and Business law firm.

Adam serves as Board chair for the Vancouver Native Health Society, as a member of the Board for the PHS Community Services Society, and a member of the Canadian Bar Association BC ("CBABC") Provincial Council. Previously he has served as chair of the CBABC Aboriginal Lawyers Forum, chair of North Shore Restorative Justice, and president of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. Adam has written articles, presented at professional education courses and as a guest lecturer at UBC and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

In addition, he has recently started fly fishing, hunting and powerlifting, enjoys the outdoors, camping and finding time for travel with his wife and dogs.

Faculty
Andrew Beynon — RC Director, Land Code Governance, First Nations Land Management Resource Centre, Sutton West
Darwin I. Hanna — Callison & Hanna Indigenous Advocates, Vancouver
George Hungerford, CFA, CAIA — George N.F. Hungerford, Vancouver
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Millie Nickason, PhD, MPA — Barrister & Solicitor, Nanaimo
Chris Roine — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
Zachary Romano — Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP, Vancouver
Allison J. Russell — Rana Law, Vancouver
Kassie K. Seaby — Rana Law, Vancouver
Claudia Wheler — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

• the significantly increased pace and scale of developments on First Nation lands: many developers, lenders, construction companies, and other non-Indigenous businesses are keen to understand the regulatory context for these projects
• key constitutional law issues: interjurisdictional immunity and paramountcy, and specific provisions of the Indian Act that factor into the analysis
• review of existing caselaw: how the courts have interpreted the application of various types of provincial laws on First Nations Lands, including property taxation, residential tenancies, builders' liens, receivership, employment and labour, and other topics
• Land Codes, modern treaties, and self-government agreements on the application of provincial laws on First Nation lands (the focus will be on BC, but with cases and examples across Canada)
• advice for counsel of Indigenous governing bodies, Indigenous economic development corporations, developers, and lenders: the importance of understanding the concerns key stakeholders with respect to application of provincial laws on First Nation lands and strategies to address same

• the First Nations Land Governance Registry ("FNLGR") aims to establish a First Nation-controlled, independent land registry for Operational First Nations under the Framework Agreement, as well as for participating Self-Governing First Nations
• this session will address a broad range of topics related to the creation and management of on-reserve land interests, guided by modernized regulations and registry standards under the new FNLGR

Andrew Beynon — RC Director, Land Code Governance, First Nations Land Management Resource Centre, Sutton West