Tallgrass Institute - Winter 2025

Dear Friends and Colleagues: 

We are nearly one full year from our launch as a Center for Indigenous Economic Stewardship, and I am moved by these four seasons of evergreen support from you and our myriad of partners across the world.

Your support helps us to:

• Work directly with Indigenous leadership to design and deploy targeted corporate campaigns and facilitate high-level dialogue between Indigenous Peoples and investors.

• Provide dynamic, tailored training on market-based strategies to Indigenous Peoples to activate their self-determined priorities.

• Lead with Indigenous Peoples' enterprise visions in our research and publications.

• Cultivate collaborative networks to activate investor and economic ecosystems aligned with Indigenous Peoples’ rights and wellbeing across sectors and fields.

I’m pleased to share highlights from the last quarter below, spanning issues and geographies – from ensuring respect for Indigenous Peoples when investing in renewable energy development to transmitting Indigenous Peoples’ insights to corporate and international spaces. I’m also pleased to share the opportunity to join Tallgrass Institute as Market Strategies Engagement Manager.

We believe that activating the business case for respect for Indigenous Peoples across sectors creates the runway for durable shifts in favor of people and planet. If the north star is Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination, then the pathway is their collective right for participation and consent in all matters that affect their lands and communities.

Finally, I invite you to consider supporting the Tallgrass Institute as we grow collective momentum in the New Year to redefine the private sector’s role as one that respects Indigenous Peoples’ human rights, lands, and economic priorities. Join our story at www.tallgrassinstitute.org and in our 2024-2025 Impact Report.

I wish you well for the solstice and look forward to the continued conversation.

Kate R. Finn
Founder & Executive Director

Recent Activity

Renewable Energy, Indigenous Peoples, and Project Siting for Values-Aligned Investors
Proponents of renewable energy often cite the urgent need to solve the climate crisis as a reason to fast-track mining projects with little or no accountability for impacts to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and lands. Tallgrass Institute’s new report helps investors vet mining projects deemed essential to the energy transition at the critical siting phase. The report concludes that Indigenous participation is integral to respecting the rights of all people and to supporting successful business operations. Download the paper and read the primer article.

Limited Progress in the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative
Our analysis of the second and final draft of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) demonstrates limited progress on Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The analysis details five points needed for the CMSI to meet a rights-based benchmark: obtaining consent as a pre-condition for compliance; guaranteed Indigenous representation within the CMSI governance structure with transparent, Indigenous‑led selection to the board; an assurance process that includes Indigenous observers or co‑auditors; a scoring safeguard that prevents positive claims despite weak performance in the Indigenous Peoples chapter; and public disclosure of consent status and agreements.

Indigenous Peoples’ COP30 Priorities and Investor Recommendations
From no-go zones to direct funding forIndigenous-led climate action, Indigenous leaders and investment experts discussed key priorities and investor stewardship recommendations in our webinar Investor Briefing on Indigenous Peoples’ COP30 Priorities.

Watch the webinar and find additional recommendations in the corresponding investor brief. We’ve also collated Indigenous insights from week 1, week 2, and following COP30.

IIPWG

Recent Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) calls featured a presentation from Bay Mills Indian Community about their advocacy to protect their lands and waters from threats posed by the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, discussions on Indigenous Peoples’ COP30 priorities and response to the CMSI second draft, updates from IIPWG Canada, and more. Find further takeaways and resources in the October and November newsletters.

Tallgrass Institute serves as Secretariat for IIPWG. See past webinars, newsletters, and other resources from IIPWG. If you would like to learn more about IIPWG, please email info@tallgrassinstitute.org or complete this form.

Career Opportunity

Market Strategies Engagement Manager at Tallgrass Institute

The Market Strategies Engagement Manager serves as a subject matter expert on market-based strategies such as shareholder advocacy, corporate engagement, and standard setting. This role primarily works with partners to set and initiate related strategy. Responsibilities include:

• Cultivating and maintaining positive and trust-based relationships with Indigenous partners,

• Maintaining expertise on market-based strategies to support partner priorities including shareholder advocacy, corporate engagement, and standard setting,

• Collaborating across the Tallgrass Institute team to integrate additional expertise and support into projects, and more.

To apply: Please send your resume to info@tallgrassinstitute.org with the subject “Market Strategies Engagement Manager.” In your email, please include a maximum of two paragraphs outlining your interest in the position. Applications received before January 19, 2026 will receive priority consideration, with interviews to be scheduled in early February. Interviewees may be asked to provide a writing sample.

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 build pathways between Indigenous leaders and investors to ensure respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and to integrate Indigenous insights and priorities to solve for today's most pressing global challenges.

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.