About Us
We’re an Indigenous-affiliated data science and communications firm based in Vancouver, B.C., Fredericton, N.B. and Houston, TX.
We collect the hard-to-get information that generates compelling metrics de-risking and supporting major projects and initiatives.
We provide validated information that builds trust and produces insights to improve our neighbourhoods, our businesses, and the world.
With validated facts, we create beautiful, easy-to-understand content that is trusted, shareworthy, and mobilizes good.
Services
iTOTEM combines secure technology and diverse expertise to enable data-driven storytelling.
We collect and transform technical information into hyper local consumable content connecting an organization’s projects with people and purpose.
We specialize in reporting, mapping and visualizing progress benefits and impact locally. With communication tools and technology, we communicate why your project is important from a social, environmental, and economic standpoint.
What We Do
Address Data Science Challenges
Wrangling data from diverse sources, processing and generating insights for performance improvement in cost, schedule, quality, risk management.
Operational Insights and A.I. Enabled Services
Tracking performance in line with industry standards and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and predicting the future benefits.
Surveys and Event-Based Data Collection
Customized to gather specific insights from multiple partners.
Local Content Advisory Services
Customized solutions providing insights pivotal to community relations, major projects and strategies.
Data-Driven Communications Campaigns and Content Creation
Seamlessly integrate data into compelling designs, effectively conveying complex information that aligns with corporate social performance and industry standards.
Foster Indigenous Economic Reconciliation
We support the advancement of projects vital to reconciliation.
Extensive experience working with national Indigenous frameworks and engaging Indigenous Nations and businesses in data collection.
Our Work
Address Data Science Challenges
Project: Rio Grande LNG Local Content Reporting
Client: NextDecade, 2024
Description: NextDecade began construction of the 27MTPA Rio Grande Valley LNG (RGLNG) facility in Brownsville, Texas in July 2023. The RGLNG project includes a Local Content program.
iTOTEM Role: RGLNG Local Content program details the employment and economic benefits to the residents of the Rio Grande Valley and Texas. iTOTEM has been engaged to manage the program namely, supporting RGLNG Contractors by:
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Providing simple to use RGLNG Local Content data collection forms
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Outlining all definitions, a list of information requirements and reporting time periods
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Notifying when reports are required
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Addressing any quality assurance issues
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Maintaining a log of a Contractor’s local content files.
Project: Scope Three Reporting
Client: South Post Oak Recycling, 2023
Description: Established in 1994, South Post Oak Recycling Center (SPORC) is a Houston, Texas based metal recycler. SPORC is committed to support the sustainability goals of its clients and the community.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM developed a summary of SPORC contributions to reduce Scope 3 emissions. This is an example of Supplier Development and a potential partner engagement opportunity.
Project: FortisBC Capital Projects Indigenous and Local Content Program
Client: FortisBC, 2024
Description: FortisBC distributes natural gas and electricity to 1.2 million customers in 135 British Columbian communities and 58 First Nations communities. As part of its annual capital investments, FortisBC delivers an Indigenous and Local Content program .
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM has been engaged to manage the program namely, supporting Contractors by:
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Providing simple to use FortisBC Local Content data collection forms
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Outlining all definitions, a list of information requirements and reporting time periods
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Notifying when reports are required
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Addressing any quality assurance issues
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Maintaining a log of a Contractor’s local content files
Project: Our Communities Care
Client: Canadian Association Petroleum Producers, 2022
Description: Our Communities Care (OCC) was a ten-month study conducted through December 2021 to September 2022. Aligned with the best practices in Indigenous and local content reporting, as expressed by the ambitions of the ‘Mining Shared Value - Local Procurement Reporting Mechanism’ and the ‘National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada’, CAPP member companies provided iTOTEM with all B.C.-based procurement transactions between 2018-2021. Goods, materials, and services purchased from B.C.-based businesses working in the upstream operations of the B.C. natural gas and oil sector were included. The study's findings captured 100% of the annual B.C. upstream capital and operating budgets of CAPP members participating in OCC, which represented roughly 90% of natural gas production in the province at the time.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM designed the model, led the data collection, processing and QA and engaged member companies. This was the most detailed analysis of Indigenous and diverse supply chain participation to date.
Operational Insights and A.I. Enabled Services
Project: Categorization of Community-based Partners
Client: iTOTEM 2024
Description: By using data from ~5000 community-based organizations from across North America from iTOTEM's past projects as a foundation, we've organized these into several community investment categories. We assign each category a unique numeric identifier—a process called vectorization. For new organizations, machine learning helps us transform their names into these numeric values. iTOTEM then use various data science techniques and the prediction of the trained model to identify if a new organization fits into one of our existing community investment categories.
Project: Explore our Economy
Client: Association of Mineral Exploration, 2022
Description: Explore our Economy (EOE) engaged more 80 small and mid-size mineral exploration companies to determine Indigenous-affiliated participation and local benefits.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM designed the model, led the data collection, processing and QA and engaged member companies.
Local Content Advisory Services
Project: Nechako Watershed and Water Engagement Initiative Community Video
Client: Rio Tinto, 2023
Description: Developed to reach people of all ages and knowledge-levels, a short video to explain the basic operations of the Nechako reservoir in Northwest B.C.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM focused on building a clear and accurate data model, gathering and checking facts and content creation addressing sensitive cultural issues such as reparation of historical grievances. We also created straightforward content explaining how things like rainfall, snow levels, and real-time and historical data are factored considering impacts on dam safety, flooding, erosion and fish and wildlife and habitat and the energy needed to power the Rio Tinto BC Works’ smelter.
Project: A community poster illustrating the values of the Nechako Watershed Management program.
Client: Rio Tinto, 2023
Description: A poster showing the benefits of a natural hydrograph to numerous social, cultural, heritage, biodiversity and climate values.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM developed a data model and the creative framework to communicate the significance of mimicking a natural hydrograph within the context of the Nechako Reservoir operations. iTOTEM gathered information from First Nations and stakeholders on values such as protection of rearing habitat, juvenile survival, grazing, recreation and the preservation of heritage sites within the scope of the Nechako Reservoir Management program.
Surveys and Event-Based Data Collection
Project: Natural Resource Trust Index
Client: iTOTEM, 2024
Description: The Natural Resource Trust Index (NRTI) aimed to gauge, and benchmark trust within British Columbia's natural resource sector in 2024. 26 different organization types from five Provinces and Territories were represented by ~380 survey participants. 15% of participation was Indigenous.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM developed NRTI to align with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Guidelines on Measuring Trust. In calculating trust in the Natural Resource sector, the NRTI weighted the following attributes against the survey questions: Cohesive commitment - Ethical conduct - Inclusivity - Reliability - Responsiveness - Transparency. Indigenous peoples and stakeholders were consulted ensuring that the Trust attributes selected were inclusive and reflect the concerns and values of all parties. Survey questions were then categorized into five dimensions:
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Leadership
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Shared value creation and community progress
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Indigenous participation and economic reconciliation
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Government collaboration
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Climate and resiliency
Project: Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association Annual Industry Outlook 2024
Client: Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, 2024
Description: The Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) is spearheading an industry outlook project through a nationwide survey of Industry, not-for-profits, academia and community to be completed by June 2024. The survey aims to gather valuable data on industry engagement, operational regions, market prospects, and existing challenges.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM is leading the project from data model design to processing to insight generation to branding. Through its social media channels, iTOTEM is promoting the project as a unique opportunity to contribute to the narrative that will steer the country’s hydrogen and fuel cell advancements.
Project: Community Investment Awareness Survey
Client: Rio Tinto, 2023
Description: Rio Tinto BC Works contributes approximately $2M annually to support community-based organizations and causes in Northwest B.C.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM created a survey to collect grassroots feedback from residents and service organizations to gauge awareness about BC Works’ local contributions. Additionally, information was gathered on preferred investments. iTOTEM was responsible to categorize investment type and to track participation rates based on location.
Community Health, Safety & Security
Project: Biochemical Reactors Field Summary (2023)
Description: A client wished to update local First Nations’ Land Use departments about the use of Biochemical Reactors (BCR) to remove nitrates and selenium from Mining Impacted Water.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM developed a two-page hand out to describe in plain language the BCR system improvements and non-routine events.
Foster Indigenous Economic Reconciliation
Project: Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada Indigenous Tourism Fund – Micro Small Business Stream
Client: Indigenous Association of Canada, 2023-2025
Description: The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) focuses on creating partnerships between associations, organizations, government departments, and industry leaders from across Canada to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Canada. ITAC is administering the $10M 2023 - 2025 Indigenous Tourism Fund – Micro Small Business Stream.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM is responsible to fulfill reporting requirements of the Indigenous Tourism Fund – Micro Small Business Stream Contribution Agreement. This includes:
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Receive relevant information from applicant businesses
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Allow access to representative organizations from provinces and territories
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Align with The Original Original accreditation program
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Aggregate and report key data points collected from the campaign to a dashboard and final report
Project: Seven Generations Value Creation
Client: Mining Association of B.C., 2023
Description: The Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) launched its inaugural research project titled, “Seven Generations Value Creation: Measuring Economic Reconciliation in B.C.'s Mining and Smelting Industry” (SGVC) in June 2022. The SGVC study examined the evolving best practices and practical examples of shared value creation arising from partnerships between Indigenous peoples and the B.C. mining and smelting (MS) industry.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM created the SGVC framework to comply with the First Nations Principles of OCAP™ (ownership, control, access, and possession), which guides First Nations data and information governance. To assess economic reconciliation arising in the mining sector, iTOTEM integrated two surveys.
Survey One: A Shared Value Creation Analysis.
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Eight Indigenous Nations / Communities on behalf of 15 Nations and twelve MABC members responded to the Value Creation Analysis survey between September 2022 – April 2023.
Survey Two: A Supply Chain and Community Investment Analysis based on 2021 Expenditures of participating MABC members.
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Ten MABC members responded to the Supply Chain and Community Investment Analysis of 2021 Expenditures survey between September 2022 – April 2023.
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The 2021 Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA) filings were also examined.
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The National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada (NIES), released in 2022, was used to provide a framework to measure economic reconciliation progress. Specifically, to assess shared value creation, the SGVC data model integrated the NIES’ four strategic pathways (People, Lands, Infrastructure and Finance), and the associated 107 Calls for Economic Prosperity.
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The results of SGVC were then aggregated and compared against the ‘targets’ expressed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and the ‘articles’ in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
Project: From Conflict to Partnership – The New Day Agreement, the Reconciliation Journey of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation and Rio Tinto Aluminium
Client: Rio Tinto, 2023
Description: In 1952, members of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation (Cheslatta) were forcibly evicted from their homes and resettled outside their Traditional Territory in northwest British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, with just two weeks’ notice. As the Aluminium Company of Canada (Alcan) built the Kenney Dam on the Nechako River forming the Nechako Reservoir, Cheslatta lands, villages, and spiritual sites were flooded. The Nechako reservoir would supply water to the Kemano Generating Station, which would power Alcan’s smelting operations in Kitimat, B.C. Rio Tinto acquired Alcan, the smelter and Kemano in 2007; these operations today are known as BC Works. This paper, co-authored by Cheslatta and Rio Tinto, describes the reconciliation journey from bitter conflict to successful partnership, and discusses the factors which made the journey possible.
iTOTEM Role: Our team engaged with key representatives from Cheslatta Carrier Nation and Rio Tinto through interviews, curated essential historical data from Archives, and spearheaded the writing of the ‘From Conflict to Partnership: the Reconciliation Journey of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation and Rio Tinto Aluminium’ submission to the World Mining Congress (WMC). The partnership was selected to present as part of the WMC Social Performance & Governance stream June 21 to July 6, 2023.
Data-Driven Communications Campaigns and Content Creation
Project: Invest in our Future Government of Canada Update
Client: Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, 2022
Description: The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) focuses on creating partnerships between associations, organizations, government departments, and industry leaders from across Canada to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Canada. ITAC has Contribution Agreements with the Government of Canada and is responsible to fulfill compliance reporting requirements.
iTOTEM Role: iTOTEM engaged Indigenous tourism operators to determine the infrastructure and fiscal supports necessary to support sector recovery post-Covid.
Who we work with
Industry
Associations
Not For
Profits
Regulated
Entities
Government
Address
Vancouver: WeWork Tower
555 Burrard St, 2nd Floor
Vancouver, BC
V7X 1M8
Houston: C/O The Ion
4201 Main Street, Ste 200
Houston, TX
77002
Phone
604.365.8313