Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with EntrepreNorth

“The Northern Lights are a source of inspiration and creativity for people up here. They symbolize the strength of innovation that has always been a part of our cultures.” – Benjamin Scott, EntrepreNorth Founding Project Director / Co-Lead

EntrepreNorth, dedicated to supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavik, celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) as a time for reflection, celebration and innovation. 

 

EntrepreNorth’s vision and mission

Our mission is to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North. We believe that Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs can become catalysts of prosperity and drivers of social change within their own communities, and that the development of sustainable enterprises can create local economic opportunities to help break through poverty, address social challenges, and strengthen Northern ways of life. EntrepreNorth offers culturally-grounded business programming and support to Indigenous entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon who are ready to elevate their business and community impact. EntrepreNorth is a project on MakeWay’s shared platform.

Summer Solstice in the North

For EntrepreNorth, NIPD is a moment to celebrate Indigenous resilience and creativity in the North. For Benjamin Scott, Founding Project Director and Co-Lead, Summer Solstice brings back memories: “when growing up in Yellowknife, we gathered at the Great Slave Lake – a great body of water, and a place of home; the shimmering of the midnight sun symbolizes a time of reflection and new beginnings.” In the North, the celebration starts at midnight, where there is the midnight sun, becoming a circle, and sunlight for the next twenty or so hours. The organization encourages its team to attend local events, highlighting their commitment to community engagement and cultural respect.

Summer Solstice Celebrations

The Summer Solstice is a vibrant time in the North, marked by continuous daylight and cultural festivities. In Whitehorse, co-director Xina Cowan, notes: “there are amazing celebrations that happen in Whitehorse for Summer Solstice, and last summer I attended the outdoor festivities hosted by the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association and Council of Yukon First Nations. There is dance, song, and ceremony. NIPD is a great opportunity for all Yukoners, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to come together and celebrate local Indigenous cultures.”

Entrepreneurial Spirit and Cultural Integration

EntrepreNorth emphasizes integrating cultural values into business practices. Their recent initiatives in Nunavik and plans for an Indigenous language cohort demonstrate their dedication to cultural preservation and economic empowerment. The Northern Lights, a symbol of innovation, are central to their upcoming logo rebrand, representing the enduring spirit of the Indigenous communities they serve.

In 2024, the EntrepreNorth team travelled to Fort Good Hope, NT and to Kangiqsujuaq and Salluit in Nunavik with program alumni Bernice Kootoo Clarke (Owner of UasaU Soap) and Misty Ireland (Owner of Dene Roots) to deliver business ideation workshops that took aspiring entrepreneurs through a design thinking journey to map out their business ideas.

This Fall, EntrepreNorth will be launching an Indigenous Language Innovation Cohort, a wraparound program for early-stage entrepreneurs with a passion for revitalizing Indigenous languages. Whether working on a series of books, digital storytelling, language consulting services, partnering with tourism experiences, or with other ideas for language revitalization, this program will support them in advancing their ideas to turn them into sustainable impact-driven business opportunities.

Connecting Through Celebration

NIPD, the Summer Solstice, reminds us of the rich cultural heritage and entrepreneurial potential in the North. EntrepreNorth continues to inspire and support Indigenous entrepreneurs, ensuring that the spirit of innovation and community remains at the heart of their mission.