Indigenous Business Gathering grows in third year

More than 700 people from around the province came together for the third Indigenous Business Gathering hosted by the provincial government.

It’s meant to promote Indigenous participation in Saskatchewan’s economy.

“It's really just bringing everyone together in that business community, bringing Indigenous people and the business community together to have conversations about where those opportunities might lie across the province and in communities and in particular, in this case in Indigenous communities across the province,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

“The goal here is the opportunity for everyone in Saskatchewan to create that economic independence. Some will refer to that as economic reconciliation.”

Growing from just 300 participants in its first year, more than 85 trade show booths filled the halls of Prairieland Park with Indigenous-owned companies and economic development corporations, as well as government and multinational organizations looking to engage with Indigenous companies.

“It’s important every time we get to talk about economic development in this province,” said Metis Nation-Saskatchewan president Glen McCallum. “It's really nice to be able to be in a room full of entrepreneurs from across our province, and to be able to have and see for ourselves in regards to the contribution they make to the well-being of Saskatchewan.”

According to McCallum, there are around 1,500 Metis-led small businesses in Saskatchewan.

“They've been there for many years,” he said. “And we're now starting to promote ourselves where we can connect even with a big industry.”

Moe says those kinds of business relationships can be formed at events like the Indigenous Business Gathering.

“It's all the folks that come here that have those conversations that will develop those business ties coming out of this event, and I would suspect likely have come out of previous events as well,” he said. “There's introductions that are made, there's conversations that happen and ultimately, I think there's business that is conducted in light of some of the conversations that happen here.”

McCallum says he’s never seen that kind of collaboration before. He says it’s an important way to benefit mutually.

“It’s important for us to get to know each other,” he said. “Not only Metis and First Nations but with governments and other industries. We have to do that to be able to know who’s doing what, and how we can complement each other.”

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson gave the keynote address after opening remarks from McCallum and Saskatoon Tribal Council Tribal Chief Mark Arcand.