Indigenous representation in Canada’s energy sector has progressed but there is still a long way to go, according to the head of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

Tabatha Bull, president and CEO of the Indigenous business group, spoke with BNN Bloomberg after being named one of Canada’s top 100 powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network.

In a television interview on Thursday, she expressed gratitude for the recognition while highlighting that there is more work to do when it comes to including Indigenous people in Canada’s energy sector.

“We’ve made some progress, but behind the doors it’s not as inclusive and diverse as we need,” Bull said.

Bull is a Nipissing First Nation member who started her career as an electrical engineer and then pursued advocacy work in reconciliation and Indigenous economic development, which included advocacy work between Indigenous communities and Canada’s energy sector.

She suggested more exposure to energy projects within Indigenous communities is one way to bring about change.

“The more projects that we see with Indigenous communities involved, the more interest we see in Indigenous people becoming engineers and becoming involved in the energy sector,” she said. “It’s definitely a cycle.”

While many Indigenous students have enrolled in school programs geared toward this sector in recent years, she noted that many of these graduates do not stay in the industry beyond 10 years.

“As a female engineer, we still have a long way to go about diversifying and ensuring there’s inclusivity within the energy sector,” she said.

Bull believes her nomination can be an uplifting and inspiring sign for Indigenous women, who are often on the outside of business and energy industry circles.

She credits her community’s enthusiasm and support for her recent recognition.

“I was really struck by the amount of comments once the winners were announced from other Indigenous women who were really just cheering on and so excited to see a peer in that space,” she added.

“This nomination means a representation to me.”