Indigenous business forum to advance ‘new model’
A major indigenous business forum that kicks off this morning in Saskatoon will help advance what the co-chair of the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network (SFEDN) calls “a new model” of doing business.
“I think it means elevating and re-invigorating this concept of sustainable development — taking what you need and leaving the rest behind for the next generation,” Milton Tootoosis said.
“It’s not about over-exploiting, let’s say, our natural resources. It’s not about exploiting and poisoning the water. It’s not about taking excessively, about getting rich,” added Tootoosis, who is also a band councillor at Poundmaker Cree Nation north of Cut Knife.
Over the next three days, the seventh World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) will bring together about 1,000 delegates from at least 11 countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Namibia, Norway and Chile.
The event is fundamentally about forging connections between indigenous business and economic development groups from around the world as well as non-indigenous groups, according to its longtime director.
“We’re here to help each other out as indigenous and non-indigenous corporations and companies and economic development centres,” said Barb Hambleton, vicepresident of Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc., which founded WIBF.
“What we want to do is to assure people that, when you’re here at this event, you have a place to talk about successes, but also a safe place to talk about any challenges that you might have,” added Hambleton, who has directed the forum since its inception.
Since about 80 people attended the first WIBF in 2010, the event has moved around the world — from New York to Sydney, Australia, to Windhoek, Namibia, to Guatemala City, Guatemala. Last year, the event was held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“We finally said, ‘Wait! We need it back in Canada,’ ” Hambleton said with a laugh before adding that this year’s forum, which runs until Thursday at TCU Place, will be the largest to date.
Tootoosis, whose group campaigned to host the WIBF in Saskatoon, said the city is an ideal location because of its rapidly growing indigenous population and its “silent renaissance” of First Nationsand Metis-led business ventures.
Indigenous businesses continue to face challenges, from raising capital to combating stereotypes, Tootoosis said. At the same time, the changing global reality means sustainable development is more important than ever before, he added.
“If we say we are stewards of the land — and we always say, ‘Let’s protect Mother Earth’ — then we need to step up to the plate and really advocate for spearheading, directing our investment corporations into new technologies, into new industries.”
I think it means elevating and re-invigorating this concept of sustainable development …