Bennett Jones extends its deepest congratulations to Jason Kenney on being inducted into the Kainai Chieftainship as an Honourary Chief of the Blood Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Jason is a Senior Advisor at the firm and served as the 18th Premier of Alberta.
As Premier, Jason built partnerships with Indigenous communities to create new and lasting economic opportunities in the true spirit of reconciliation. This included leading the creation of the first-of-its-kind Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC) in 2019.
"I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy," says Jason. "One of my proudest achievements as Premier was to lead major advances in economic reconciliation, opening up new opportunities for Indigenous communities to thrive. The Kainai Nation has long been a leader in partnering with industry to achieve prosperity, as are a growing number of First Nations across Canada."
Individuals are selected as honourary members of the Kainai Chieftainship through their contributions of advocacy for the Blood Tribe. The role of an honourary chief is to help promote cultural pride of Blackfoot and Kainai Nations as well as be a resource to the First Nations.
AIOC supports Indigenous investment in natural resources, agriculture, telecommunication and transportation projects, using up to $3 billion in loan guarantees to help make it easier to access capital, improve lending terms and make financing more affordable. To date, AIOC has supported seven deals, providing over $680 million in loan guarantees and directly benefiting 42 First Nations and Métis Groups in Alberta.
Bennett Jones is one of Canada’s premier business law firms and home to 500 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world. Serving clients since 1922, we are proud to be the firm that businesses trust with their most complex legal matters.