Support for Indigenous entrepreneurs a pathway to economic reconciliation, but it's also good business
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Ashley O’Neil is fighting wildfires in B.C. this summer: It’s a job, and a calling. Fighting fires has given her the grit, stamina and toughness necessary for her latest venture as a businesswoman.
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O’Neil is a young, Indigenous entrepreneur — part of a growing trend that is revitalizing the Indigenous economy and bringing new goods and services to Canadians while holding on to Indigenous values of social, spiritual and ecological interconnectedness.
As a member of the Ktunaxa Nation, where cultural burns were a traditional practice, O’Neil learned from an early age to understand and respect fire.
“Our tribes did the burns every time they left a place. The following spring everything would be green and luscious, it opened up the canopies, so the sunlight comes in, more grass, more animals, the berries would be good. Following fire is part of my culture, and part of my blood.”
O’Neil became a firefighter 14 years ago, first as a structural firefighter, and later as a wildland firefighter. The 34-year-old launched her business, AshFirewear, after years of struggling to fit into, and stay safe in, protective gear designed for men.
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“I started the company because there is a lack of female firefighting clothing,” said O’Neil.
Gear designed for men didn’t fit properly, was uncomfortable and often gaped, leaving her vulnerable to getting snagged on something or burned. “I was constantly worried about safety, ” said O’Neil.
After designing firewear for herself, O’Neil saw a business opportunity, and spent several years on research and design of her own environmentally friendly, biodegradable firefighting fabrics and protective wear.
For O’Neil, though, entrepreneurship isn’t just about the realization of a personal dream, being self-sufficient or making money. It’s also about what she can do for others.
“I just want my people to be proud of me, and to show I’ve put something into society that can benefit all of us,” said O’Neil. “It’s not just for my community, but also the non-native communities — I work with a lot of non natives, and people that are not from my community, but they are still my brothers and sisters.”
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In her new book, Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table, business leader Carol Anne Hilton, who is Hesquiaht of Nuu-chah-nulth descent from Vancouver Island and founder of the Indigenomics Institute, argues that Indigenous people are economic powerhouses and a key part of a global power shift that features a convergence of human values and economic systems.
“We are seeing an emergence of a growing army of Indigenous entrepreneurs,” Hilton said. “There is a realization by Indigenous peoples that there is something beyond what we are told about poverty and opportunity, and the uptake of Indigenous businesses is individuals choosing something different for their families outside the poverty narrative.”
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The playing field for Indigenous entrepreneurs has shifted, said Hilton, as legal wins supporting rights, title and consultation create new opportunities for communities.
New, non-traditional sectors
Hilton notes that as Indigenous businesses are growing in new, non-traditional sectors outside of resource extraction and local businesses, they are also setting values around sustainability.
“That’s something that is very natural to us as Indigenous people, where the intention of business is bigger than self or profit,” said Hilton.
Hilton argues that the Indigenous economy, built around principles of the Indigenous world view, is “a new model of development, one that can advance Indigenous self-determination, collective well-being and reconciliation.”
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According to an RBC Canada report, Indigenous business ownership is increasing at five times the rate of non-Indigenous businesses, Indigenous women-led businesses are starting at twice the rate, and Indigenous people are the fastest growing segment of the population, creating an Indigenous economy worth $30 billion.
Hilton envisions that will grow to $100 billion in the next five years.
Although Canada is home to over 1.6 million Indigenous people from over 600 Indigenous communities, a report by Inclusion Works shows that 85 per cent of Canadian companies still do not engage with Indigenous people in any substantial way.
Hilton advocates improved pathways to economic inclusion. Recent measures include the $150-million Indigenous Growth Fund to provide loans to Indigenous entrepreneurs, managed by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, and the announcement this summer by the federal government of a new procurement policy for federal goods and service contracts mandating that at least five per cent of federal contracts must go to Indigenous businesses.
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Hilton believes the path toward economic reconciliation also requires individual action as individuals, as families, in offices, and in board rooms.
Joanne Norris, director of Indigenous and Northern Communities for Futurpreneur Canada, a national non-profit that offers business loans, mentoring and support to people ages 18-39, launched a dedicated program in 2020 to support Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“I saw the opportunity to do more for Indigenous entrepreneurs while I was working in Northern B.C.,” said Norris. “There are huge opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs who are living in their communities, on and off reserve, in urban centres, and the far North.”
Norris saw young Indigenous people with great ideas who were smart, tech-savvy, and hungry for success. What was missing, especially for novice entrepreneurs, was access to capital and business planning support.
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Norris approached her national colleagues and said, “I think we can do more.”
Futurpreneur, which is supported by federal and provincial governments and corporations, and provides approximately 1,000 loans of up to $60,000 annually, secured funding for the Indigenous Youth Entrepreneur program from the federal government in 2019.
After hiring a four-member, all-Indigenous team, they worked with the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association to make their business plan tool more “Indigenous-friendly,” adding practical videos of Indigenous entrepreneurs explaining how they developed their own business models.
“One of the great things about Indigenous entrepreneurs is they don’t think only of themselves,” said Norris. “They are thinking of their families, their communities, their broader regions. They want their business to really serve their community in some way, whether it be by creating jobs, or creating access to services their community doesn’t have yet. It’s very, very inspiring.”
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But there’s another thing: “Indigenous young entrepreneurs are good business,” said Norris, who added that her personal goal is to hand off the program as soon as she can, so it is 100 per cent Indigenous-led.
‘There has been a spark’
Jordan Dooley, 27, is one of the Indigenous entrepreneurs who secured financing from Futurpreneur for a line of luxury bamboo-fibre bedding.
“This is a brand that I started, and I wanted it to line up with my world view,” said Dooley, who works as a park ranger on the Sunshine Coast when he’s not working on Vearthy.
Dooley, who grew up near Sudbury, Ont., said his ethic of sustainability is deeply connected to his Anishinaabe heritage.
“My background and my business are strongly influenced by each other, and this ties into the sense of community that I want to build. I want people to be able to wake up and feel good.”
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Dooley said his single mother taught him to be self-sufficient, work hard, live modestly, give to the community and be happy.
“The idea is to create a brand that cares about health and wellness at an individual level and at an environmental level.”
Dooley, who is a self-taught entrepreneur, chooses small batch manufacturers, low-impact dyes and a bamboo production method that uses lyocell, an organic enzyme that is less toxic to the environment.
After successfully launching his brand and online retail site, Dooley is eager to share what he has learned.
“A lot of people don’t have the means, resources and knowledge to get capital. Now it seems like there has been a spark, and I’m trying to seize the opportunity, and open up the doors for others.”
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Steven Slə́qsit Stark is president of Two Worlds Transportation, a joint venture between Tsawwassen Shuttles and TRAXX Holdings Inc. He said said relationships have been key to his success.
Two Worlds Transportation will offer service to Indigenous communities in B.C., as well as tourism destinations.
Stark, a member of Tsawwassen First Nation, launched his first business nearly two decades ago offering marine transportation.
“In 2011, the provincial government started talking about wanting Indigenous businesses on their projects, but I kept losing bids and opportunities because I needed to build my internal capacities,” said Stark. If he lost out on a bid, Stark said, he would go back and ask why.
“I will always keep knocking and banging my head on the door — I’m gentle at it and I nudge my way in slowly.”
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He branched out to transportation on land with Tsawwassen Shuttles, and soon was successfully bidding on street sweeping contracts, adding water trucks and gradually expanding his reach through the Lower Mainland.
“The businesses and the relationships I’ve built is not based upon UNDRIP, it’s based on ‘Steven provides quality, safety, good equipment and his rates are fair.’ I’m Indigenous, but lets not take away from the fact that I work hard. The Indigenous component is just one component.”
Stark overcame a troubled background, including drug and alcohol addiction. “It did not define me,” said Stark, who credits the support he got from Chief Ken Baird of the Tsawwassen First Nation for helping him rebuild his life 17 years ago.
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Stark said Traxx has “embraced the opportunity to support an Indigenous component,” from its logo, designed by Coast Salish artist Jody Wilson, to a commitment to incorporate Indigenous awareness at every level of its operations — especially since its motor coaches will be serving Indigenous communities as well as tourism destinations.
“It takes years to understand an Indigenous community, to understand how to communicate with our people: We all suffer from intergenerational trauma, from the colonization period. Transitioning out of that is vitally important, and it’s important for me to be there to do it in a good way, and to educate people if they want to listen, understand and participate.”
Stark said economic reconciliation will come in the same way success has come to him: “Persistence overcomes resistance,” said Stark. “I know I am Indigenous and I just want to be treated fairly, just allow me the opportunity.”
dryan@postmedia.com
Indigenous entrepreneurs poised to make big impact on Canadian economy - Vancouver Sun
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