Earlier this month, our Indigenous Relations team attended the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase at the Convention Center in Vancouver, B.C. During the event there were over 20 featured sessions celebrating successful partnerships between Indigenous communities and their industry partners. Our Indigenous Relations team, Lana Wilhelm and Kiera Luong Wilson attended this event to learn about how specific projects have helped support economic reconciliation and secure a brighter future for First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.

“Being at this showcase has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities within Indigenous entrepreneurship, it was a great chance to learn from successful business leaders,” says Kiera Luong Wilson, Indigenous Relations Intern. “I’m very excited to witness the impact our businesses are making and to be a part of the journey towards economic reconciliation.”

The event focused on the importance of incorporating Indigenous practices and perspectives into the businesses. Procurement plays a significant role in supporting the growth of Indigenous enterprises, fostering a more inclusive and equitable economy. Economic reconciliation requires a collective effort of establishing long term partnerships between corporations and Indigenous communities.

The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase is an annual event responding to the growing demand for practical guidance on how Indigenous communities and their enterprise partners can work together, in common purpose, for shared success. Their mission is to cultivate a shared sense of purpose and direction. By highlighting the relationships that underpin economic reconciliation, IPSS enables participants and society at large to build toward an inclusive vision for what reconciliation looks like for the rest of the 21^st century.