Tallgrass Institute - Fall 2026
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
We are gearing up for a dynamic fall and can’t wait to connect with you at the events we’ll be attending this season (see below).
Highlights from the summer are also below, including our annual report of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and participation in corporate Annual General Meetings. Despite changes constricting investor leverage in the U.S., our report shows how, where, and when active investor strategies can move forward priorities for Indigenous Peoples. I hope to see you on the launch webinar September 29, co-organized with the Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Institute, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, and West Coast Environmental Law.
Finally, I’m thrilled to share our 2025-2026 Impact Report that beautifully illustrates the depth and breadth of work across global regions to advance Indigenous Peoples’ priorities through active partnerships and engagements. Thank you for joining us in this work to safeguard Indigenous Peoples’ rights. See you soon!
Kate Finn, Founder & Executive Director
Shareholder Trends for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
“As companies move in ever-closer proximity to Indigenous Peoples, whether to their lands, territories and waters, or their languages and cultural property, investor strategies are a critical way to bring visibility to rights-aligned engagements with Indigenous Peoples.”
Tallgrass Institute’s Indigenous Peoples and the 2026 AGM Season reports on shareholder proposals in the banking, mining, energy, and automotive sectors that addressed issues including the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), racial equity audits, and corporate accountability for impacts on Indigenous communities.
** Join us Tuesday, September 29, 4:00pm ET for the webinar Trends and Tools to Advance Indigenous Peoples’ Rights through Shareholder Proposals.
Indigenous Priorities for Energy Transition Development
“Indigenous Peoples’ territories are living systems of governance, culture, memory, food, water, and responsibility to future generations. These lands are already under pressure from centuries of dispossession, extractive industries, infrastructure development, conservation measures, carbon markets, and now the growing demand for transition minerals.”
Tallgrass Institute delivered a closing intervention to the UN High-Level Meeting on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and signed a joint letter to the High-Level Meeting with more than 130 organizations worldwide.
Indigenous Peoples’ Insights on AI Minerals Use
“AI can be a useful tool, but its impacts depend on who controls its development, who bears its costs, and whether Indigenous Peoples have the authority to say yes, say no, or determine the conditions under which AI-related infrastructure is built, data is used, and resources are extracted.”
In Indigenous Peoples and the Mineral Footprint of Artificial Intelligence, Bryan Bixcul, Director of Advocacy and Partnerships at SIRGE Coalition, and Nalori Chakma, Transition Minerals Advocacy Manager at Tallgrass Institute, explore important questions about the need for an AI governance that respects Indigenous Peoples’ authority.
FPIC Due Diligence Guidance Available in Portuguese
Translation of Tallgrass Institute’s Free, Prior and Informed Consent Due Diligence Questionnaire for investors and companies is now available in Portuguese, as well as English, Spanish, Russian, and French.
Investor Action on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
Indigenous leaders presented on critical topics at recent Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) strategy calls. Patricia Suárez, Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), discussed the Indigenous Peoples’ statement from the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels and next steps. Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot, UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), shared highlights from the 19th EMRIP Session, including a data sovereignty panel and thematic expert reports.
Find further takeaways and resources in the July and August newsletters.
Tallgrass Institute serves as Secretariat for IIPWG. If you would like to learn more about IIPWG, please email info@tallgrassinstitute.org or complete this form.
Connect with Tallgrass Institute
Climate Week NYC 🗓️ Sept. 20-27 |📍New York, NY
Vision 2030: Indigenous Peoples and Transition Minerals Strategy Gathering | Sept. 23, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm ET
2026 WMAN Biennial Conference 🗓️ Sept. 27-30 |📍Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Trends and Tools to Advance Indigenous Peoples’ Rights through Shareholder Proposals 🗓️ Sept. 29, 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET | 🌐 Webinar
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) Fall Conference 🗓️ Oct. 6-8 |📍New York, NY
EITI Global Conference 🗓️ Oct. 8-10 |📍Brussels, Belgium
World Bank Group Annual Meeting 🗓️ Oct. 12-18 |📍Bangkok, Thailand
PRI in Person 🗓️ Oct. 13-15 |📍Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Formative Growth for Impact Conference 🗓️ Nov. 8-11 |📍 Phoenix, AZ
UN Forum on Business and Human Rights 🗓️ Nov. 23-25 |📍 Geneva, Switzerland
Support Our Work
The Susan White Yethiya wihe’ Advocacy Fund provides support for Tallgrass Institute in memory of Susan White, Trust and Enrollments Director for the Oneida Nation and Co-Chair of the Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group. For many years, Susan spearheaded efforts to promote sustainable and responsible investing in Indian Country.
Donations to Tallgrass Institute are tax deductible and support our work to integrate Indigenous insights and priorities into business standards and practices to solve for today's most pressing global challenges.
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Tallgrass Institute is a Center for Indigenous Economic Stewardship. We bridge Indigenous leadership and knowledge with investor strategies to advance Indigenous Peoples' self-determination and wellbeing. By activating investor and economic ecosystems, we work to redefine the private sector’s role as one that respects Indigenous Peoples’ human rights, lands, and economic priorities. Learn more at www.tallgrassinstitute.org and read the 2025-2026 Impact Report.