Grand Chief Jerry Daniels will deliver a keynote at the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase 2025 on Nov. 13 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. The showcase adds The Gathering, an Indigenous-led, full-day stream focused on practical tools, cultural insight, and shared learning on reconciliation in action.
Daniels leads the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, representing more than 87,000 citizens across 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations, and arrives with a portfolio of housing, health, and downtown revitalization projects. Under his leadership, SCO acquired the historic Hudson’s Bay building in Winnipeg for the Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn redevelopment, backed by a one hundred million dollar package from Canada and Manitoba to create almost three hundred affordable homes and services for Elders, families, and students.
Calling the project “an act of reconciliation,” Daniels said it is “our vision to revitalize the heart of Winnipeg’s downtown, for the benefit of all, in line with our traditional, holistic approach to sustainable economic development.”
In December 2023, SCO signed an memorandum of understanding with True North Real Estate Development that aligns the Bay redevelopment with a companion transformation of Portage Place. “Together we are taking on the revitalization of downtown Winnipeg,” Daniels said at the announcement, calling the partnership “what true economic reconciliation looks like.” He later added, “Our innovative partnership demonstrates the benefit of respectful and collaborative dialogue to improve the urban health of downtown Winnipeg.”
Daniels’ economic lens is long-standing. A University of Manitoba graduate in economics, he has pressed for diversified, innovation-driven growth alongside resource development. “Just because we have so many resources does not mean we have to just focus on that,” he said when a landmark report detailed Indigenous contributions to Manitoba’s economy. “Focus on innovation, focus on sustainability, because that is what is going to take us to where we need to be.”
Health transformation is another pillar. Testifying to Parliament during the pandemic, Daniels urged a shift to First Nations control of policy, institutions, and funding envelopes, citing an eleven-year life-expectancy gap for status First Nations in Manitoba. “We have always pushed for direct control, community-driven strategies and solutions,” he said, as reported by the Brandon Sun.
Known for a pragmatic, solutions-first style, Daniels has pressed governments on consultation and rights. When Manitoba moved to ban night hunting, he cautioned that proposed legislation needed proper engagement. “People want to make this a race issue,” he said. “Let us get past that and focus on solutions,” he told CBC.
SCO has grown institutionally under Daniels with programming in status cards, harm reduction, crisis response, traditional healers, veterans’ support, and youth scholarships, and with Elder and Youth advisory bodies that embed community voices. He was acclaimed for a second term in 2020, then re-elected to a historic third term in 2024, reflecting strong support among member Nations. A profile notes his focus on healthcare, education, social justice, child and family services, and the environment, and his belief that Elders and youth must be heard through SCO’s Elders Committees and Youth Council.
At IPSS 2025, where Indigenous speakers will facilitate The Gathering, Daniels’ case studies are expected to resonate with delegates aiming to turn reconciliation into bankable partnerships. Recent milestones, from the Bay conversion to the Portage Place collaboration, offer replicable models that pair equity, housing, health, cultural spaces, and training.
“Today can be another step forward to a brighter future, one that reflects what our ancestors dreamed of,” Daniels said when the Bay project funding was announced. With IPSS focused on real-world deal-making, his keynote will match vision with execution on Nov. 13 in Vancouver.
Click here to register for IPSS.
