Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs

Image by the Government of Canada

Many resources and opportunities are available for Indigenous entrepreneurs, although they can be scattered and difficult to find. The British Columbia Indigenous Small Business Resources Handout is an excellent place to start when looking for skills training, advisory services, mentorship support, and financing programs that specifically cater to Indigenous People. The Small Business Hub and Small Business BC also provide a curated list of support services on their website. In addition to these informational sources, Small Business Accelerator also suggests the following:

Digital Resources

• Level Up Your Startup by Pow Wow Pitch
• Native Women’s Association of Canada
• Inuit Women in Business Network
• Futurpreneur Business Resources
• The Prince George Aboriginal Development Centre
• Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund

Podcasts

• Pow Wow Pitch
• Indigenous SME Podcast
• The Prosperity Podcast

Books

The SFU Blog listed a variety of relevant business and economics books in their collection, which include: 

• Indigenomics : taking a seat at the economic table
• Business implications of Aboriginal law
• Decolonizing employment : Aboriginal inclusion in Canada's labour market
• The reconciliation manifesto : recovering the land, rebuilding the economy
• Indigenous business in Canada : principles and practices
• Indigenous organization studies : exploring management, business and community

Clicking on these links will bring you to WorldCat, where you can see the closest library with the book in its collection. Change your location to ensure accuracy by selecting the button in the upper right, circled in red in the following photo:

Educational Programs

#BeTheDrum | An Entrepreneurial Outreach and Navigation Program developed by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC). It is designed to build skills of Indigenous women and gender-diverse people entering the spheres of business, management, and entrepreneurship.

Indigenous Awareness for Co-op Leaders | In this course, taught by John Lagimodiere and Winston McLean, you’ll gain important historical context on the treaties, laws governing Indigenous peoples, and legal decisions. You’ll also learn how you and your organizations can make a difference by being an ally and participating in reconciliation.