Beth is a Partner in the Indigenous Practice Department. She is dedicated to working alongside Indigenous governments, communities and members to advance her clients’ self-determination, strengthen governance, promote sovereign wealth generation, and support community-driven decision-making.
Beth has experience providing advice to Indigenous governments on economic development matters including: structuring best practices, the development and implementation of customized corporate governance frameworks and adapting and Indigenizing colonial corporate frameworks and structures to better reflect and serve her clients’ needs.
Legislative drafting and policy development form a large part of Beth’s practice and she frequently assists Councils and communities in the development of laws and policies based on inherent jurisdiction, recognition agreements such as the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management and statutes such as the and the Indian Act and An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.
Legislative and policy representative work includes:
- Partnering with clients to develop custom election laws, leading community consultations to identify leadership priorities, drafting tailored election laws, and supporting their successful ratification and implementation.
- Advising First Nations on the reassertion of their inherent jurisdiction over the well-being of their children, youth, and families—including drafting child well-being laws, facilitating community ratification, and successfully removing provincial jurisdiction in this area.
- Advocating for and representing clients in Coordination Agreement discussions pursuant to An Act Respecting First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children, Youth and Families.
- Developing laws—including residency, business licensing, and cannabis use and regulation—based on inherent jurisdiction, recognition agreements (such as the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management), and statutes such as the Indian Act, to support good governance and address community needs.
- Updating and implementing housing policies and related agreements (including rental, loan, and purchase agreements) to align with current land management regimes, both on- and off-reserve, enabling Indigenous governments to better manage housing programs and meet community needs.
- Drafting and implementing Land Codes under the First Nations Land Management Framework Agreement, leading community consultations, supporting ratification, and preparing tools for the effective administration of lands, empowering communities to take greater control of land governance.
Commercial representative work includes:
- Advising individual First Nations and First Nation consortiums on the structuring of ownership and participation in major commercial developments related to infrastructure, energy transmission, and renewable energy generation.
- Negotiating on behalf of, and supporting, Indigenous businesses and First Nation economic development entities in the structuring and negotiation of joint ventures with industry partners.
- Collaborating with First Nation governments and communities on economic development initiatives, including business structuring, implementation of governance best practices, and the design of customized corporate governance frameworks
