Barayamal

First Nations Economic Forum 2024

First Nations Economic Forum
First Nations Economic Forum · 2024 · Past event

What’s the cost of Indigenous identity fraud?

A national online forum bringing together Elders, entrepreneurs, researchers and policy leaders to examine how identity fraud diverts opportunity from First Nations communities — and what we can do about it.

Watch the highlights Browse Indigenous jobs
Watch

The forum, in forty-four minutes.

Edited highlights from the day — Lianna Costantino’s keynote on Aboriginal identity fraud, both panels, the entrepreneurship showcase and Victoria Grieves Williams’ closing remarks.

Featuring Victoria Grieves Williams, Jason-Urranndulla Davis, Nathan Moran, Lianna Costantino, Jesse Martin, Trevino Brings Plenty and Nicole Brown MAICD.

Watch the 90-second recap
Run of show

Two hours. One question that matters.

Seven sessions across two hours — from understanding the problem to celebrating what real Indigenous entrepreneurship looks like, and mapping the policy road ahead.

11:00 – 11:05Opening

Welcome

Acknowledgement and framing of the day’s question.

Session 2Keynote

Understanding Aboriginal Identity Fraud

Lianna Costantino — Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF)

Session 3Panel

Impact of Identity Fraud on Indigenous Economies

Drew Hayden Taylor · Nathan Moran · Cynthia Greywolf

Session 4Showcase

Celebration of Indigenous Entrepreneurship

Jesse Martin · Nicole Brown · Dean Foley

Session 5Workshop

Strategies to Combat Identity Fraud

Lianna Costantino — practical steps for organisations and buyers

Session 6Panel

Governance and Policy Solutions

Hannah McGlade · Jason-Urranndulla Davis · Gningala Yarran

1:00 PMClose

Closing remarks

Victoria Grieves Williams

Speakers

Voices from across the movement

LC

Lianna Costantino

Tribal Alliance Against Frauds — keynote & workshop facilitator

DT

Drew Hayden Taylor

Panellist — impact on Indigenous economies

NM

Nathan Moran

Panellist — impact on Indigenous economies

CG

Cynthia Greywolf

Panellist — impact on Indigenous economies

JM

Jesse Martin

Entrepreneur — celebration of Indigenous entrepreneurship

NB

Nicole Brown

Entrepreneur — celebration of Indigenous entrepreneurship

DF

Dean Foley

Founder, Barayamal — celebration of Indigenous entrepreneurship

HM

Hannah McGlade

Panellist — governance and policy solutions

JD

Jason-Urranndulla Davis

Panellist — governance and policy solutions

GY

Gningala Yarran

Panellist — governance and policy solutions

VW

Victoria Grieves Williams

Closing remarks

Why this matters

Is Indigenous identity fraud a big deal?

When individuals or businesses falsely claim Indigenous identity, they compete for the grants, procurement contracts, jobs and platforms that were created to address real, documented disadvantage. Every dollar and opportunity captured this way is one that doesn’t reach a genuine First Nations business or community.

The harm isn’t only economic. False claims erode trust in Indigenous procurement policies, put pressure on communities to police identity, and crowd authentic First Nations voices out of the rooms where decisions are made.

“Identity fraud isn’t a victimless shortcut — it takes opportunity directly from the communities these programs exist to serve.”
Procurement & grantsIndigenous procurement targets and grant programs rely on self-identification — a system that works only when claims are honest and verifiable.
Jobs & leadershipIdentified positions and board roles intended for First Nations people can be occupied by false claimants, blocking genuine pathways.
Community trustCommunities carry the burden of questioning claims — a task that should sit with robust governance, not with Elders.
What the forum deliversA shared understanding of the problem, practical strategies for organisations, and policy directions raised by First Nations leaders.
What happened

Sixty-six people, and a room that talked back.

The 2024 forum was a grassroots event, run without a budget or sponsorship. Sixty-six people took part — from across Australia and as far as North Carolina and Ontario — and stayed an average of fifty minutes each.

It was a conversation rather than a broadcast: 309 messages went through the event chat, 101 reactions were left, thirteen new connections were made between attendees, and nearly one in five joined on microphone or camera rather than watching silently.

“A grassroots event that gathered diverse perspectives, discussions and collaborations aimed at advancing Indigenous economies.”
Read the post-event summary
66 participantsUnique attendees, from across Australia to North Carolina and Ontario.
50 minutesAverage time each attendee stayed in the session.
309 messagesSent in the event chat, alongside 101 reactions.
18.2% on mic or cameraJoined the discussion directly rather than listening only, and thirteen new connections were made.
Event status

This event date has passed.

Registration is closed and this page is retained as a public event record. Edited highlights are above. The next forum, Access to Capital, streams on Thursday 15 October 2026.

All forums Browse Indigenous jobs

4 responses to “First Nations Economic Forum 2024”

Leave a Reply