Open letter to the Bad River Band
Enbridge is committed to Native American communities
May 2024
In September 2022, Enbridge released its Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan (IRAP), which continues our long-held commitment to strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities across North America and advancing reconciliation.
The plan lays out 22 commitments organized into six pillars: People, Employment and Education; Community Engagement and Relationships; Economic Inclusion and Partnerships; Environmental Stewardship and Safety; Sustainability, Reporting and Energy Transition; and Governance and Leadership.
Cover of Enbridge’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan.
Our IRAP serves as the roadmap by which we will continue our journey to advance truth and reconciliation. It is the mechanism by which we will remain accountable for executing on our commitments and to our partners, including Indigenous peoples.
A new agreement with a longtime partner
“We respect and appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa,” said Jennifer Smith, head of Indigenous Engagement in the U.S. at Enbridge, which operates the world’s longest liquids pipeline system. “Enbridge is committed to establishing and maintaining mutually respectful and beneficial relationships with sovereign Tribal nations and Indigenous communities near our operations.”
In February 2024, the LCO Tribal Governing Board voted in favor of entering into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Enbridge renewing and adding easements on the reservation and addressing reconciliation. “This new MOA demonstrates our continued commitment to LCO as a partner in environmental protection, safe operations of our system and economic development,” added Smith.
This agreement builds on a longstanding relationship. In 2017, one of the “glaring needs” for the LCO Band, was an expanded wastewater treatment facility. With the support of Enbridge and several other partners, the LCO Band quadrupled its wastewater treatment capacity—allowing for creation of a new preschool, fire hall, 40-unit apartment complex, police headquarters, health clinic and new residential development.
Enbridge also recently contributed $500,000 for a new fire truck to serve the community.
Strong partnership—great opportunities
In June 2023, Thunder Butte Petroleum Services Inc.—owned by the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation of North Dakota—purchased the Plaza/Wabek Pipeline from Enbridge for $5 million. The oil-producing MHA Nation will soon become the first Tribal shipper on the Enbridge system.
“We are looking forward to the partnership with Enbridge through the acquisition of the Plaza/Wabek pipeline. Becoming one of the first Tribal shippers on the Enbridge system is a win-win situation. Creating an avenue of transmission to move our energy trust assets and resources to the marketplace will help further support various projects, programs, infrastructure, and increase our Nation’s standard of living,” said Mark Fox, Tribal Chairman at MHA Nation. “Enbridge interacted with respect and professionalism throughout the process, and it has been a pleasure to work with them.”
Engaged, respected, included
As part of a pipeline replacement project in northern Minnesota, more than 30 Native American tribes contributed to an Enbridge-funded, Tribal-led cultural resources survey spanning more than 330 miles—the largest such survey in history. Findings shaped the project’s route and protected culturally sensitive areas.
Enbridge committed to spend $100 million during Line 3 construction in Minnesota on doing business with Native American-owned companies, and hiring and training Native American workers. Enbridge actually spent four times that amount—more than $450 million specifically with Indigenous businesses, workers and communities.
Matt Gordon’s Native American-owned Gordon Construction company is the lead contractor on Enbridge’s project on the Fond du Lac Reservation and together with subcontractors make up more than 90% Native-owned businesses working that project.
Indigenous-owned prime contractor Gordon Construction—from Mahnomen, Minnesota, on the White Earth Reservation—is leading the Line 3/Line 4 removal project on the Fond du Lac Reservation. “Currently Gordon Construction has five subcontractors on this project. One is from Bad River, three are from Fond du Lac and one is from Leech Lake Band,” said Matt Gordon, president of Gordon Construction. “Out of the entire scope of work of the project, 92.5% will be Native American-owned businesses that are completing this project.”
Seven Pipelines, Seven Generations
In the Canadian province of Alberta, 23 Indigenous communities collectively acquired an 11.57% stake in seven Enbridge pipelines in the oilsands region for $1.12 billion (in Canadian dollars) – a historic partnership that’s believed to be one of the largest of its kind in North America.
Signing ceremony with 23 Indigenous groups who now own 11.57% of our existing pipeline assets in northern Alberta, Canada.
“Our partner logo theme—Seven Pipelines, Seven Generations—speaks to the long-term value potential of these assets, which will help enhance quality of life in our communities for many years to come,” said Justin Bourque, president of Athabasca Indigenous Investments, the organization created from the alliance of the 23 Indigenous communities.
More opportunities in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, a partnership between Enbridge and Five Skies Training and Consulting is providing free empowerment and job skills training to Native workers seeking meaningful careers. Enbridge has supported the training of more than 200 Indigenous people in the Midwest.
“Everyone who has graduated through our program has had an opportunity to go to work,” said Nick Kedrowski, co-owner of Five Skies Training and a member of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin. “But they didn’t have to go to work on the pipeline—that was never a requirement from Enbridge. The training was available to basically anyone who was interested and willing to put in the time.”
We’re looking ahead to relocating a segment of Line 5 that will bring an economic boost to the region. Once approved, the Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project—which will build 41 miles of pipeline around the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin—will create 700 construction jobs and add $135 million to Wisconsin’s economy.
Dollars and jobs are earmarked for Native American communities. The Line 5 relocation project will spend $46 million with Native American-owned businesses and on wages for Tribal members. Enbridge has committed to training and hiring Native Americans for at least 10% of its Line 5 construction workforce.
Every landowner—there are about 300 in total—along the proposed route for Line 5 has agreed to the project, which is designed based on conversations with local communities and the results of a Tribal cultural resource survey. Enbridge is committed to safety, and to environmental and cultural resource protection. Tribal monitors will oversee construction with stop-work authority to ensure important cultural resources are protected.
Enbridge’s Line 5 relocation project is ready to go as soon as Federal and State permits are issued. For Wisconsin and the Native communities, it brings a future of opportunities.
We’re open to conversations. Please email questions to enbridgeinwi@enbridge.com
Sincerely,
Tom Schwartz
SVP Liquids Pipelines,
Enbridge Strategic Projects and Partnerships
