Grand Chief Warren White and Energy East Pipeline President François Poirier shake hands during a traditional ceremony in the sacred roundhouse of the Wauzhushk Onigum community, near Kenora, Ont.

Christopher Curtis, Montreal Gazette, July 30, 2015

TransCanada has quietly been meeting with First Nations leaders ahead of its Energy East pipeline project, signing 32 “capacity funding agreements” with aboriginal communities in the past two years.

Through these agreements, the energy firm donates money to a reserve and, in return, gets to pitch its $12 billion pipeline to community members.

TransCanada is heavily invested in these deals but insists none of its contributions to First Nations are meant to entice support for Energy East. However, Kanesatake Grand Chief Serge Simon says that accepting said money comes with stipulations he isn’t prepared to honour.