Applies To
All Project PAW operations & affiliated projects
Effective Date
October 2026
Review Date
October 2027
1 · Purpose
This protocol governs how Project PAW enters, operates on, and builds relationships within Indigenous territories and alongside Indigenous Nations. It is a binding internal commitment: every project team is expected to follow it, and its obligations are treated as conditions of doing the work — not optional best practices.
2 · Scope
This protocol applies to all Project PAW operations, deployments, and affiliated projects — including but not limited to Turtle Power installations, Pocket Dams, Eden Farms, and any site where we install hardware, run wiring, collect data, or hold a physical presence on or near Indigenous land.
3 · Working Within the Law — and Above the Minimum
The legal floor is not our ceiling.
Project PAW complies with all applicable laws and regulations at all times — a company policy cannot and does not override statute. Wherever the law sets the floor, this protocol sets a higher bar: we commit to consent-based collaboration that exceeds legal minimums, and wherever statute permits, we defer to Indigenous law and governance as the guiding authority on their territory.
4 · Protocol Commitments
The Seven Commitments
1
Consent, Not Just Consultation
— No project proceeds without explicit, informed consent from local Indigenous leadership — not just municipal or provincial approval.
— Conversations happen early and often — before funding, before press releases, before deployment.
2
Elder & Knowledge Keeper Engagement
— Local Elders and Knowledge Keepers are engaged as guides and advisors on every project.
— Honorariums and proper protocols are followed for every meeting, blessing, or knowledge session.
3
Cultural Safety & Welcome
— Teams receive a formal welcome or blessing to operate on the land.
— If a territory does not feel aligned, the project pauses or relocates. Relationship comes before schedule.
4
Shared Benefit Agreements
— Indigenous communities receive direct, tangible benefits from any system deployed on or near their land: revenue sharing, jobs, energy sovereignty, co-ownership of infrastructure, or training programs.
— Benefit terms are agreed with the community — not handed down by us.
5
Language, Land & Legacy
— Installations include Indigenous place names, language signage, and optional co-naming ceremonies.
— All projects recognize the historical and ongoing stewardship of Indigenous peoples over these lands.
6
Circle of Accountability
— A Circle or Committee composed of Indigenous representatives reviews each major project before launch.
— The Circle may halt or revise any system deemed disrespectful, extractive, or incomplete in its relationship process. That decision stands.
7
No Footprint Without Relationship
— We do not enter a territory, run wiring, install hardware, or take data unless we have been invited.
— We never assume that technical benefit is sufficient justification for action.
Every substantive commitment in this protocol — consent, elder engagement, shared benefit, the circle of accountability — is kept in full. What changed from the earlier draft: the clause that appeared to place Indigenous law above statute has been replaced with the commitment in Section 3 above. The strength of the promise is unchanged; its legal footing is now sound.
5 · Effective Date & Review
Last updated: October 2026.
This protocol takes effect October 2026 and will be reviewed annually, next in October 2027, in consultation with the Indigenous partners and advisors named under this protocol.
© 2026 Project PAW Carbon & Energy Solutions Corp · Fredericton, NB