by Gabriel Louër
Last Thursday, the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (ICC) had the privilege of hosting a fireside chat with members of Manitoba’s business and tech community. The talk, held in the exchange district’s King’s Head Pub, focused on actions the private sector can adopt to incorporate reconciliation practices within their business models.
The event, which was reduced to standing room, demonstrated the importance of lively conversations about business and its relationship to important social issues. To facilitate the conversation, ICC president Renee Greyeyes welcomed Christopher Henry of IcMD, an Indigenous-owned pharmaceutical company, and Geeta Tucker, CEO of CPA Manitoba.
Bridging Business and Social Responsibility
Primarily, the conversation centered on the personal steps taken by both Henry and Tucker in relation to reconciliation efforts within their respective businesses. In doing so, the chat was able to relate the personal experiences of the respective entrepreneurs and foster connections with a broader audience.
Tucker spoke at length about the various practices adopted by CPA Manitoba, an organization which oversees all of Manitoba’s 9,000-plus accountants. Among the newly adopted practices was an Indigenous learner’s initiative, which focused on offering culturally relevant coursework within the CPA program.
“The course is fully Indigenous” Tucker said. Not only does the material draw from business examples within the Indigenous community but many, if not all, of the instructors and learners are also from Indigenous backgrounds. Tucker remarked that self-reflection was the catalyst of her journey toward reconciliation, adding that educating oneself was of utmost importance.
Consultation and Trust: Key Steps in Business Reconciliation
For Henry, the most important step to incorporate reconciliation practices within his business model was to first consult with Indigenous communities, which proved to be difficult but rewarding. "It took time to build trust,” said Henry, “it took nearly four years to get a solid contact.”
As a business, IcMD seeks to provide better access to healthcare for Indigenous communities, many of which are often situated in remote locales where resources are scarce. To accomplish this feat, Henry says it required an immense commitment to transparency and to his business ambitions.
“It was really a stick with it attitude” he further remarked. Throughout the pandemic, IcMD successfully supplied over 310 Indigenous communities across Canada with access to crucial medical supplies.
These conversations about personal experiences highlight the importance of entrepreneurship in relation to promoting reconciliation practices. Commerce is one of the universal practices which unites all communities from different backgrounds. If we can reorient the values of commerce to promote practices of reconciliation, we can build a more prosperous future for all.