FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) was established in May 2015. SNGRDC’s mandate is to generate revenues, outside of federal contributions, for the collective benefit of all Six Nations Members. SNGRDC seeks out business opportunities and secures investment opportunities on behalf of our beneficiaries – the Six Nations Community.
Revenues generated by SNGRDC go towards the collective benefit of the Six Nations Community via capital investments by SNGRDC or community investments through the Economic Development Trust. This style of distribution was a direct result of the 2011 We Gather Our Voice Community Engagement Project.
Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) is committed to ensuring its actions adhere to the Corporation’s Guiding Principles and align with the community values of Six Nations people.
For more information on how SNGRDC generates revenue visit our portfolio.
- Separate business from politics –SNGRDC is staffed with business-minded people who are able to make informed decisions about investments on behalf of Six Nations. These decisions are monitored by the Board of Directors to ensure SNGRDC’s actions are in accordance with the values and integrity of the Six Nations People.
- Separate economic development revenues from Own Source Revenue Calculation – Prior to separation, revenue generated under the Six Nations Elected Council were added into Six Nations’ Own Source Revenue calculation. If an economic venture was successful, federal funding received by council was at risk of being reduced.
- Enable pursuit of economic opportunities beyond Six Nations borders – The creation of SNGRDC provides Six Nations with the essential business structure required to negotiate with outside partners.
- Create and protect tax immunity – SNGRDC currently has a professional legal opinion that states economic activities pursued by SNGRDC both on and off reserve are insulated from taxation.
- Organize assets to reduce risk; separate holdings and insulate other assets – SNGRDC is the umbrella organization with various numbered companies beneath it. If a numbered company is not successful, the loss is restricted to only the one company and does not affect the other SNGRDC holdings.
Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) is governed by a Board of Directors.
For more information, please visit the Corporate Structure page.
All SNGRDC Board Members must be Six Nations Band Members. Open calls for applications for SNGRDC Board of Directors members are posted to the News Section of our website and in the local newspapers.
As of 2023, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation currently employs approximately 110 people in the areas of Corporate Administration (Corporate Affairs, Property Management, Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, and Business Development), Six Nations Bingo, Chiefswood Park, and the Gathering Place by the Grand.
SNGRDC is always looking for new and local talent. Visit our Career Page for current job postings.
Economic Trust
For Additional information please visit Economic Development Trust FAQ section by clicking here.
In its augural year, SNGRDC announced it would distribute up to $3.5 Million into the newly formed Economic Development Trust (EDT). Since 2016, the EDT has invested over $17 Million into the Six Nations community.
All EDT funds will be paid or made payable by the Trust, in their entirety, by December 31st. The Trust runs on a fiscal year of January-December.
The SNGRDC Board of Directors’ Trust Committee will review all applications and determine how the EDT funds will be distributed. For more information about the Board of Directors, please click here.
Application packages & guidelines can be found on the Economic Development Trust page of this site.
As of March 31, 2023, the Elected Council will receive a minimum annual funding commitment from the Economic Development Trust (EDT) for the next 15 years. The annual commitment is 40% of SNGRDC’s post audit free cash or $1.4M, whichever is greater.
The funding agreement provides parameters in which the Elected Council can utilize the proceeds. Funding must be directly tied to a community need as outlined in the 2019 Community Plan. The Elected Council will be subject to reporting and disclosures, keeping in line with the current EDT funding agreements. As part of the reporting process, the Elected Council will produce an annual report detailing where the funds were directed.
Going forward, the Elected Council will no longer be eligible to apply for EDT funding. This will enable the EDT to streamline their focus towards other general applicants and grassroots level initiatives.
Investments
Visit our portfolio pages for the more information on both on-reserve and off-reserve investments.
In 2011, Six Nations Economic Development began to engage the community in order to gain feedback on its planned separation from Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council. The We Gather Our Voices engagement project was conducted. From these sessions, Guiding Principles and a three-board corporate governance structure was developed to ensure SNGRDC’s actions would align with the needs and values of the Six Nations community.
As of 2023, the three boards have been consolidated into a single Board of Directors with nine members, whose mandate is to ensure SNGRDC is acting in the best interest of the community.
Any SNGRDC project deemed to require community consultation by the Board of Directors is sent to the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council’s Consultation and Accommodation Process (CAP) team for engagement with the Six Nations Community. Information about the proposed projects are posted to the SN Futures website. This site is design to ensure community members have access to all materials they require in order to make informed decisions.
The Consultations and Accommodations Process (CAP) Team is not a function of the SNGRDC. This team was established by the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council to carry out the process of consultation and accommodation on behalf of Six Nations of the Grand River in accordance with the Consultation & Accommodations Policy. SNGRDC has a seat on the CAP Team. Any SNGRDC project deemed to require community consultation by the Board of Directors is sent to the CAP team for engagement with the Six Nations Community.
The CAP Team is responsible for overseeing
- Communications including meetings with proponents and/or the Crown to discuss proposals, policies and projects
- To develop a working relationship with proponents and/or the Crown;
- Educate proponents and the public on Six Nations land rights;
- Negotiate a Term Sheet of accommodation on specific proposed projects that will benefit the Six Nations community;
- Conduct engagement with the Six Nations community;
- Draft definitive agreement for final approval; and
- Ongoing monitoring of projects.
For more information visit www.snfuture.com/cap.php
In May 2015, the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) was launched and the Economic Development department of the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council (SNGREC) was dissolved. Economic Development staff and assets were transitioned over to SNGRDC separate from SNEC.
As part of this transition, the following departments were also transferred from SNGREC to SNGRDC:
- Six Nations Tourism (including Chiefswood NHS & Mohawk Chapel)
- Six Nations Bingo
- Our Sustenance (Eco-Centre/Greenhouse)
- Property Maintenance
- Forestry
This transition would span 2 sitting Councils and would require more than 32 council resolutions. See our Timeline for more information.
As of 2023, Six Nations Tourism, Chiefswood National Historic Site, and Mohawk Chapel have been divested back to Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council. For more information on this transition, please click here.
- Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council’s (SNGREC) Chief has a non-voting seat on the SNGRDC Board of Directors. This seat provides an opportunity for two-way communications between SNGRDC and SNGREC regarding issues that affect the community as a whole.
- Due to the fact that Corporations are unable to own land on the Six Nations Reserve, SNGREC is the landowner/leaseholder of all on-reserve assets managed by SNGRDC. (See Nation Enterprise)
- Sole Shareholder of SNGRDC (See Who is the shareholder of SNGRDC? What does this mean?)
- Beneficiary representative of SNGRDC’s the Six Nations of the Grand River Economic Development Trust (EDT) coordinated through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO acts as an administrative agent who coordinates with the EDT to ensure funds flow to the EDT beneficiary- the Six Nations community.
Shareholder
SNGREC is the sole shareholder of SNGRDC. However, SNGREC role as a shareholder is very different from the role of a shareholder in a standard Corporation. SNGREC has assigned the duties and responsibilities on how incomes will be generated to the Board of Directors. They have also assigned the duties and responsibilities on how the net-free cash flow will be spent (to the Board of Directors & Economic Development Trust). Although there is a direct relationship with SNGREC, SNGRDC’s governance model was specifically designed to be Apolitical in nature in order to best serve our beneficiaries- the Six Nations Community.
This governance model is a direct result of the We Gather Our Voices community engagement project.
SNGRDC’s sole shareholder is SNGREC, where SNGREC is a “Band” within the meaning of the Indian Act and is therefore legally recognized as the governmental authority empowered to create a community owned corporation. Dividends are not distributed to the shareholder, like in a standard Corporation, instead the Advisory Committee determines what portion of the revenues are distributed to the Economic Development Trust for community investment or to SNGRDC (Board of Directors) to be reinvested into future capital projects or initiatives.
SNGRDC’s governance model was specifically designed to be Apolitical in nature and is a direct result of the We Gather Our Voice community engagement project.
All Six Nations Members are beneficiaries of the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC). All profits generated by SNGRDC will be distributed to the Six Nations community collectively via the Economic Development Trust (EDT) or through capital investment in infrastructure, projects or initiatives. This form of distribution was a direct result of the We Gather Our Voices community engagement project.
On-reserve assets managed by SNGRDC are known as Nation Enterprise. These properties are leased from Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council, as Corporations are unable to own on-reserve properties.
These assets include:
- Chiefswood Park
- Six Nations Bingo Hall
- The Gathering Place by the Grand (old Bingo Hall)
- SNGRDC Administration Building (old Six Nations Tourism building)
- Oneida Business Park
- Former Martin Bus Property (Home to A6N)
Duty to Consult and Accommodate
The duty to consult and accommodate with Aboriginal Peoples arise when the Crown considers actions or decisions that may affect an Aboriginal person or nation’s rights. This duty arises most often in the context of use or alternation of natural resources.
The general purpose of the duty to consult and accommodate is to advance the objective of the reconciliations of pre-exiting Aboriginal societies with the assertion of Crown Sovereignty. The duty flows from the Crown and its fiduciary duty to Aboriginal peoples. The obligation provided consultation and decision making process that is compatible with honour of the Crown is embedded in the Section Thirty-Five of the Constitution Act, 1982 and within a number of Aboriginal agreements and treaties.
It is difficult to separate the duty to consult and accommodate because consultations is meaningless if accommodation is not included.
