Strategic Advantage: Why Siksika Nation Should Be Canada's Wealthiest

Why would a KPMG and Ernst & Young alumnus leave corporate America to become Chief of a First Nation in Alberta? Because Chief Ouray Crowfoot saw investment potential that most people miss - and he had the financial expertise to unlock it.

In this episode of Drumbeats, Chief Crowfoot shares how he's applying Big Four accounting principles to Indigenous economic development at Siksika Nation. Located just one hour east of Calgary, Siksika occupies strategically valuable territory. But as Chief Crowfoot learned during his six years of leadership, location advantages mean nothing without the right business capabilities and mindset.

With undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance and accounting, Chief Crowfoot understands what institutional investors need: sophisticated governance, transparent financial management, and clear partnership structures. His mother's philosophy - "a computer in one hand and a drum in the other" - captures the balance he's pursued: maintain cultural identity and traditional knowledge whilst building modern business capacity.