Terms of Reference 2025

Luminary is the name of an initiative developed by Indigenous Works in 2019/20 to advance a 5–10-year strategy for Indigenous innovation as a catalyst for economic transformation, employment, and wellbeing. In 2020, just over 150 Luminary Charter Partners (LCP’s) signed onto a planning initiative to affirm the issues and secure their commitment to participate in co-creating a strategy to address barriers, build new systems and re-design the Indigenous research and innovation ecosystem. The Luminary Strategy was completed in 2021.

The Need

The Luminary strategy is responding to two issues which are constraining Indigenous prosperity. (i) A significant gap currently exists between post-secondary institutions, business schools, research institutions, and the Indigenous community, and the systemic barriers to growing Indigenous-led research and business talent. (ii) Indigenous communities lack the means to mobilize new research knowledge and innovate new products, services and value creation which can grow and transform Indigenous economies. Research and innovation investments not only lead to stronger business and industry competitiveness, but they also enable new products, market expansions, and create jobs.

Vision and Mission

Luminary’s vision is to advance a new Indigenous economic innovation ecosystem to transform economies, employment, and wellbeing. Its mission is to convene, coordinate, and facilitate a network of academic researchers, business schools, Indigenous businesses, mainstream businesses, and NGOs to foster and grow new knowledge networks, talent and research collaborations to increase economic innovation in Canada and abroad.

The 2024 Strategic Science Fund Award from Innovation, Science & Economic Development

In 2024, Luminary was awarded $4.0M for five years (2024-2029) from ISED’s new Strategic Science Fund, the only Indigenous initiative to be selected along with 23 other successful projects. Luminary is addressing the economic innovation and engagement gaps by supporting, facilitating and coordinating efforts among the academic community (including business schools, agriculture, engineering and others), the Indigenous business community, research agencies and NGOs to commercial innovation, Indigenous-led research collaborations and foster a new Indigenous innovation eco-system that will transform economies, jobs and communities.

Supported by the Strategic Science Fund award, Luminary is inviting partners from foundations, private sector, and the academic community to support a number of transformative programs and projects that blend traditional and Western knowledge to address national and global challenges with a new Indigenous research and innovation strategy.  To guide Luminary’s future, two advisory bodies have been created: The Luminary National Advisory Body and the Luminary International Indigenous Advisory Council.

1. Purpose of The Luminary International Indigenous Innovation Advisory Council (IIIAC)

To provide strategic guidance and culturally grounded perspectives to advance Indigenous innovation globally with impacts at the local and regional levels. The Advisory Council will support the development of inclusive, sustainable, and community-led innovation models and practices to advance the Indigenous innovation ecosystem.

2. Mandate

• Advise on global Indigenous innovation initiatives, frameworks, and strategies.
• Promote knowledge mobilization that integrates and is informed by Indigenous worldviews.
• Strengthen partnerships among academic institutions, business schools, Indigenous organizations, governments, and the private sector to foster international knowledge and research collaborations.
• Foster intergenerational leadership and cross-cultural collaborations.
• Support new knowledge networks and multi-disciplinary research networks that will create impacts locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Create sustainable models for the ongoing growth and development of Luminary’s Indigenous led institutional and programmatic approaches.
• Encourage the participation of business schools globally to participate in the Business School Indigenous Engagement Survey and Benchmarking Exercise.

3. Guiding Indigenous Principles, Values and Teachings

1. Relationality: All innovation is situated within relationships — among people, the land, and the spiritual world — Innovation practices must recognize the land as a living system of knowledge.
2. Responsibility: Members are accountable to future generations and are stewards of cultural and ecological sustainability, knowledge, and practices.
3. Reciprocity and Balance: Partnerships must reflect mutual benefit, equity, and ethical exchange.
4. Elders and Intergenerational Wisdom**: The inclusion of Elders and youth ensures that knowledge is both inherited and renewed.
5. Wholism: We approach innovation and wellbeing through an integrated lens — spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical.
6. Story as Knowledge: Narratives, oral traditions, and lived experience are central to how we understand, evaluate, and shape innovation.
7. Consent and Self-Determination: Indigenous Peoples have the right to define, lead, and govern their innovation pathways.
8. Time as Cyclical: We acknowledge the cyclical nature of time — innovation must honor past, present, and future wisdom.

4. Membership

• Indigenous innovation leaders
• Indigenous business and economic leaders
• Academic and institutional representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA
• Elders and Knowledge Keepers
• Youth innovators
• International partners with lived experience in Indigenous community and economic innovation

Members 

Elder (1)

Indigenous Youth (2)

Representatives from National Indigenous Advisory Circle (2)

Australia Business School Representative (2)

New Zealand Business School Representative (2)

USA Business School Representative (2)

Canada Business School Representative (2)

Indigenous Business Leaders/Innovators (3)

Luminary CTO & CPO & Senior Research Lead (3)

6. Member Roles and Contributions

1. Engage Actively: Attend and meaningfully contribute to virtual meetings of the Luminary Council. Where feasible, meetings may be aligned with international conferences or Indigenous gatherings.
2. Advance Global Engagement: Support the co-creation of Luminary’s international engagement strategy by identifying and facilitating relationships with strategic partners, funding agencies, Indigenous knowledge holders, and institutions; Offer insights on international innovation trends, public policy developments, and leading practices relevant to Indigenous economies and communities.
3. Guide Strategic Initiatives: Provide advice and input on Luminary’s roadmap, program priorities, global services, and international convenings.
4. Contribute Thought Leadership: Participate in Luminary podcasts, webinars, and other knowledge mobilization efforts as speakers, interviewees, or contributors; Promote through personal and professional networks, speaking opportunities, academic forums, and social media.
5. Uphold Indigenous Values and Worldviews: Embody and promote principles of reconciliation, two-eyed seeing, and the values adopted by the advisory council.
6. Advance Indigegogy: Champion Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing globally, contributing to models of Indigenous-led education, research, and innovation.
7. Host Events in Local Contexts: Where appropriate and with the support of the Luminary, host Luminary-branded events (e.g., webinars, workshops, or seminars) in your home country or organization, following Luminary’s kaupapa and brand guidelines.
8. Enable Knowledge Exchange and Mobility: Support Luminary proposals and initiatives to generate opportunities for academic and professional exchanges, including visiting students, scholars, and Indigenous practitioners.
9. Contribute to Publications and Research: Participate as co-authors, peer reviewers, or contributors to Luminary Knowledge Networks with think pieces, reports, and publications; support the two Indigenous Journals (Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development and The International Journal of Indigenous Business) 
10. Support Indigenous led and Indigenous informed institutional and programmatic models and practices.

7. Meetings and Participation

• The Advisory Body will convene virtually twice per year, with optional regional in-person gatherings.
• Members are encouraged to contribute to working groups, knowledge-sharing sessions, and program planning.
• Additional informal engagement may occur through working groups, special sessions, conferences, or written input, as needed.
• Meetings will be co-chaired by Luminary’s Chief Transformation Officer and a co-chair from the advisory council.
• Luminary will provide administrative and coordination support for LC meetings, including virtual logistics, minute-taking, and follow-up on action items.
• Decisions are reached by consensus, with input used to inform Luminary’s international strategy and programming.

8. Confidentiality

• LC members may have access to confidential or proprietary information. Members are expected to
• maintain confidentiality as appropriate and in accordance with a confidentiality agreement, if applicable.]

9. Review

• These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually and updated as needed to reflect the
•  LC’s evolving mandate and global context.]

10. Reporting and Impact

Recommendations from the Advisory Body will inform global initiatives, partnerships, and Luminary-led innovation programs. A summary of outcomes will be published in Luminary’s Annual Report.