In Episode 15 of the Indigenous Voices in Resource Development podcast, John Desjarlais sits down with JP Gladu, principal of Mokwateh, founding member of the Indigenous Resource Network, and member of Sand Point First Nation. Recorded in JP’s home community, the conversation starts from a place of kinship, land, and lived experience.
JP shares the history of Sand Point First Nation, including the forced removal of families from the land, the eventual return of reserve status, and what it has meant for him and his family to come back home. He speaks about connection to territory, learning from his parents, raising his daughter on the land, and why that connection continues to shape who he is.
John and JP also get into some of the bigger conversations happening across Canada right now around Indigenous rights, consent, governance, trust, and resource development. They talk about what communities need to be properly informed, why strong governance matters, and why projects move better when Indigenous communities are treated as real partners from the start.
The episode also reflects on JP’s path through forestry, community work, Indigenous economic leadership, and advisory work in the resource sector. Throughout the conversation, there is a strong focus on service, responsibility, optimism, and making space for the next generation. More than anything, this is a conversation about staying grounded in who you are, learning from the past, and helping build something better going forward.