THUNDER BAY — The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association hosted a panel discussion regarding the impact of Indigenous business in Northern Ontario on Thursday.
The panel discussion in Thunder Bay was moderated by Peter Collins and Chi Mino Ozhitoowin. It featured panellists Jason Thompson of Superior Strategies, Jonathon Mamakwa of the TGK Group and Sarah Levesque of Supercom Industries.
The conference at the NorWester Conference Centre examined opportunities and the challenges facing Indigenous businesses in the region.
Jason Thompson focused on the importance of identifying barriers to successful Indigenous business. These barriers include access to capital and markets for both products and services.
"There's still a very colonial processes in place that is continually showing barriers . . . and people need to be mindful of those barriers and create ways to address them," Thompson said.
While attending the Anishinabek Nation Economic Development Opportunities Forum in Toronto last week, Thompson listened to a presentation by Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Chief Joe Miskokomon, who Thompson said "stated it beautifully."
"Talk around reconciliation is very much a mirage. It's not clear. It's a term that's thrown around quite loosely, without any real plan of action or consequences for inaction. And that's a challenge," Miskokomon said.
Thompson noted, "There are many times where I feel like we're a charity case, and we're approached as a charity case, and that's not the intent of reconciliation."
He said the intent of reconciliation is to build a better life and to work in partnership and collaboration.
"It's not one person still benefiting from a majority of benefits and the other person getting scraps. That's not what reconciliation is — a partnership is, and once we get beyond that, that's when things will start to change."
Thompson pointed out that Indigenous businesses "play a huge part" in the local economy.
A study is underway in a partnership between the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association, Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, the City of Thunder Bay, and Fort William First Nation to evaluate the economic impact of Indigenous businesses in Thunder Bay.
"We want to get as much information as possible from the Indigenous organizations and businesses and we're encouraging them to really get involved and get engaged," Thompson said.
"The data showcases . . . this is who we are. We're making a meaningful contribution to the city of Thunder Bay."
Thompson said there is a "tremendous amount of opportunity" once they get past some of the barriers.
"Let us work together in collaboration.
"Allow us the opportunity to win and grow right now because the reality is that we've been on the outside for a long time looking in," he said.
"This race has started and we're quite a ways behind. We don't have the same storyline as everybody else, and that's the challenge. We're trying to get caught up and it's going to take a great deal of work."
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
