Beyond Acknowledgment: Âsokan Calls for Systemic Restructuring on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

FORT MCMURRAY, ALBERTA, CANADA, September 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Âsokan Generational Developments is calling on business leaders, governments, and citizens to look past the truths of our history and confront the systems that still shape our present.

Established in 2021, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children lost to residential schools, survivors, their families, and communities. It is a day for Canadians to reflect not only on that legacy but also on the inequities that persist in our institutions, policies, and economic structures today.

Justin Bourque, founder and CEO of Âsokan and a recognized Indigenous entrepreneur, says it's time to shift reconciliation "out of the acknowledgment phase" and into systemic restructuring, particularly in how Canada defines economic partnership and ownership.

“Reconciliation won’t happen through symbolism alone,” says Bourque. “It will happen when Indigenous people are trusted as decision-makers, owners, and visionaries—not just stakeholders to be consulted.”

The firm, whose name is a Cree word for "bridge," was founded to create pathways for Indigenous communities in industries built without them. Since its founding, Âsokan has supported more than 40 Indigenous communities in securing equity stakes worth over $3 billion in major infrastructure and energy projects. This leadership was recognized nationally in 2024, when Bourque was named one of MSN’s “Top Ten Entrepreneurs You Should Know About”.

While best known for facilitating transformative equity transactions, Âsokan’s work is now evolving beyond the financial, focusing on the cultural and governance shifts that must accompany them. This includes redefining how risk is shared, how success is measured, and how traditional Indigenous values can guide modern business decisions.

“We talk a lot about capital. We talk far less about consent, about community, and about the sacredness of land,” says Bourque. “That has to change.”

Bourque points to initiatives such as Alberta’s Indigenous Opportunities Corporation and the federal National Loan Guarantee Program as examples of how systemic change is possible. These programs are helping to shift Indigenous communities from consultation to co-ownership, a transformation he believes must become the norm rather than the exception.

This National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Âsokan urges Canadians to consider what comes after acknowledgment. What are you doing the other 364 days of the year? True reconciliation is not an annual exercise—it’s a daily, and often uncomfortable, commitment.

Âsokan believes reconciliation must be embedded into every boardroom decision, every project framework, and every governance table. Only then can Canada move from remembrance to restructuring, and create a future where Indigenous sovereignty is not the exception, but the standard.

About Âsokan Generational Developments
Âsokan is a Cree word meaning “bridge,” reflecting the firm’s mission to connect Indigenous communities and industry through equitable, culturally grounded partnerships. The consultancy specializes in Indigenous governance, ESG frameworks, and strategic project development — helping build futures that honour tradition while advancing economic sovereignty.

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