(Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies/Facebook)

By Derek Craddock

INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURS

New program at SIIT hopes to create more Indigenous entrepreneurs

Jan 13, 2022 | 6:00 PM

A new program at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) hopes to train the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs while providing a mentor to help them along the way.

SIIT will soon launch the Miyoskamin: Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, a five-month course scheduled to start Feb. 14.

“The first part is to develop your sense of identity, so who you are and historically, who Indigenous people have been within entrepreneurship and innovation,” said program coordinator Samantha Ouellette.

“Then it goes into more of the entrepreneurial skills, the business skills, economic skills, things like that. So that by the fourth course, you are actually doing a capstone project where you’re working with a business or an Indigenous company.”

SIIT has campuses in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Regina with Career Centres in other communities like Lloydminster, North Battleford, and Meadow Lake.

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This new program is a pilot project which will only be offered at the Saskatoon campus at the moment, but Ouellette hopes it can be expanded in the future.

To help students through the course, SIIT is also seeking an “auntie in residence” position for the program.

In Indigenous culture, aunty or uncle are terms often used as signs of respect to Elders.

For this setting, Ouellette is hopeful that having such an Elder in the program will motivate the students.

“They are going to be within the classroom setting and they’re going to be there to provide that support, to help develop that kinship and community that we value, and to also create that sense of belonging because a lot of times that’s missing within higher education, especially with our Indigenous learners.

“Our students are learning those entrepreneurship skills and they’re going to possibly open their own business afterwards. And so, if this auntie has those skills and background already, she’s able to have those conversations with the students.”

Ouellette added there is a gap within the economy when it comes to Indigenous entrepreneurs and is hopeful the program and auntie in residence will create more successful Indigenous entrepreneurs and innovators.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @pa_craddock