Two Ways to Look at Deep Tech: Indigenous and Western Views
Canada investing more in advanced technologies like AI, energy storage, and materials science. These deep tech innovations take years to develop and cost a great deal to scale.
So who decides what to build and why?
One way of thinking about comes from the wordlview of Western venture capital (VC), which focuses on profit, speed, and market size. Another perspective comes from Indigenous communities, who focus on community benefits, long term care for the land, and passing knowledge to future generations.
Below, we compare the Indigenus and Western views to explore how they do and don’t agree.
1. Shared Goals, Different Values
Both Indigenous leaders and Western investors want to support strong technologies. They often agree on what needs to be built, like clean energy systems, climate tools, or health tech, but they measure success differently.
As shared in What Makes Innovation Indigenous?, Indigenous innovation is about more than profit. It must support culture, language, relationships with land, and future generations. These values shape how technology is used and shared.
2. Different Ways of Governing Projects
Western investors often use business rules that focus on ownership, control, and return on investment. Indigenous communities use governance based on relationships, consent, and collective care. This matters when it comes to informed decision making.
In Data is Ceremony, we explain how data is more than information; it is sacred. Indigenous communities must have control over how it’s collected, stored, and shared. That’s very different from most Western VC investment models.
3. What Happens at the End of a Project?
Deep tech often comes with waste or other impacts, especially in battery energy storage, mining, and biotech. Most Canadian projects don’t have end-of-life plans, while Indigenous communities take a different approach.
In Circular Infrastructure, we show how Indigenous thinking includes the full life cycle of a project from beginning to end. That means planning for clean-up, reuse, and long-term safety before the project even starts.
4. Indigenous Leadership in Clean Energy
Some people talk about Indigenous communities as “stakeholders” in clean energy projects. But the truth is that many are already leading.
In The Next Energy Economy, we highlight projects like Oneida in Ontario, where Indigenous Nations are both beneficial owners and key decision makers in what’s built and how it is managed.
Conclusion: A Better Way to Build Tech
Canada wants to lead in deep tech, but building advanced technology also means building trust.
Western VC can help grow companies. Indigenous leadership will help build systems that last and that respect the land and future generations.
If Canada bring these two approaches together, we can create an innovation economy that is strong, fair, and ready for what comes next.