Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong

This paper utilizes the Shifting the Burden Archetype (Senge/Stroh) to document a systemic pattern that is unfortunately, often unconscious to the parties involved and inadvertently leads to the undermining of corporate or government/Indigenous relationships, despite best intentions. Based on over a...

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Main Authors: Daniel D. P. McCarthy, Christine A. Daly, Alexandra Davies Post, Gillian Donald, Jean L’Hommecourt, Bori Arrobo, Gregory Hill
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/13/6/452
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author Daniel D. P. McCarthy
Christine A. Daly
Alexandra Davies Post
Gillian Donald
Jean L’Hommecourt
Bori Arrobo
Gregory Hill
author_facet Daniel D. P. McCarthy
Christine A. Daly
Alexandra Davies Post
Gillian Donald
Jean L’Hommecourt
Bori Arrobo
Gregory Hill
author_sort Daniel D. P. McCarthy
collection DOAJ
description This paper utilizes the Shifting the Burden Archetype (Senge/Stroh) to document a systemic pattern that is unfortunately, often unconscious to the parties involved and inadvertently leads to the undermining of corporate or government/Indigenous relationships, despite best intentions. Based on over a decade of experience in these contentious contexts, the author(s), document a set of interacting feedback loops that illustrate an unfortunate set of patterns of behaviour, based on starkly different worldviews, in which the choice to engage in more superficial attempts at relationship building actually undermines the ability of the parties to engage in the more difficult but fundamental solution of trust-based relationships. Recommendations for interventions in these typical or archetypal relationships will be made based on an understanding of the dynamics of the system and process design.
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spelling doaj-art-70637b312ff048a4b2f5d4e58561b5112025-08-20T02:21:58ZengMDPI AGSystems2079-89542025-06-0113645210.3390/systems13060452Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go WrongDaniel D. P. McCarthy0Christine A. Daly1Alexandra Davies Post2Gillian Donald3Jean L’Hommecourt4Bori Arrobo5Gregory Hill6School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaSchool of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaSchool of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaFort McKay First Nation, Donald Functional & Applied Ecology Inc., Calgary, AB T9H 3G4, CanadaSustainability Department, Fort McKay First Nation, Fort McKay Rd, Fort McKay, AB T9H 3G4, CanadaSustainability Department, Fort McKay First Nation, Fort McKay Rd, Fort McKay, AB T9H 3G4, CanadaConcurrent Appointments in the Departments of Mathematics and Environmental Studies, University of Portland, Portland, OR 97203, USAThis paper utilizes the Shifting the Burden Archetype (Senge/Stroh) to document a systemic pattern that is unfortunately, often unconscious to the parties involved and inadvertently leads to the undermining of corporate or government/Indigenous relationships, despite best intentions. Based on over a decade of experience in these contentious contexts, the author(s), document a set of interacting feedback loops that illustrate an unfortunate set of patterns of behaviour, based on starkly different worldviews, in which the choice to engage in more superficial attempts at relationship building actually undermines the ability of the parties to engage in the more difficult but fundamental solution of trust-based relationships. Recommendations for interventions in these typical or archetypal relationships will be made based on an understanding of the dynamics of the system and process design.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/13/6/452corporate/indigenous relationsindigenous methodologiesminingreclamationsystem archetypessocial innovation
spellingShingle Daniel D. P. McCarthy
Christine A. Daly
Alexandra Davies Post
Gillian Donald
Jean L’Hommecourt
Bori Arrobo
Gregory Hill
Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
Systems
corporate/indigenous relations
indigenous methodologies
mining
reclamation
system archetypes
social innovation
title Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
title_full Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
title_fullStr Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
title_full_unstemmed Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
title_short Shifting the Burden: Corporate Indigenous Relations and How They Can Go Wrong
title_sort shifting the burden corporate indigenous relations and how they can go wrong
topic corporate/indigenous relations
indigenous methodologies
mining
reclamation
system archetypes
social innovation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/13/6/452
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