Mikwam Makwa Ikwe (Ice Bear Woman) - A National Needs Analysis on Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship - Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge ...
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Mikwam Makwa Ikwe (Ice Bear Woman) A National Needs Analysis on Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship
The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) is a national network and
accessible digital platform for sharing research, resources, and leading strategies. With
ten regional hubs and a network of more than 250 organizations, WEKH is designed
to address the needs of diverse women entrepreneurs across regions and across
sectors. In response to COVID-19, WEKH adopted an agitator role connecting women
entrepreneurs and support organizations across the country and led network calls
WEKH.CA and training sessions. WEKH’s advanced technology platform, powered by Magnet, will
@WEKH_PCFE enhance the capacity of women entrepreneurs and the organizations who serve them
DI.WEKH@RYERSON.CA by linking them to resources and best practices from across the country.
With the support of the Government of Canada, WEKH will spread its expertise from
coast to coast, enabling service providers, academics, government, and industry
to enhance their support for women entrepreneurs. Ryerson University’s Diversity
Institute, in collaboration with Ryerson’s Brookfield Institute for Innovation +
Entrepreneurship and the Ted Rogers School of Management, is leading a team of
researchers, business support organizations, and key stakeholders to create a more
inclusive and supportive environment to grow women’s entrepreneurship in Canada.
The I.H. Asper School of Business has thrived for over 80 years providing world-
class education to leaders and innovators who contribute ethically to the social and
economic well-being of Manitoba and the world. Taking our place among leading
business schools we are committed to transforming research and scholarship, building
a community that creates an outstanding learning environment, forging connections
UMANITOBA.CA/ASPER
to foster high impact community engagement, and inspiring minds through innovative
and quality teaching and learning.
The Asper School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB), one of the highest standards of achievement for business schools
worldwide.
Author Contributors Advising Contributor
Ashley Richard, BComm (Hons.) Suzanne Gagnon, PhD
Kara Thorvaldson, BComm
WEKH/University of Manitoba, University of Manitoba,
(Hons.)
Asper School of Business Asper School of Business
WEKH/University of Manitoba
Shannon Pestun, B.Mgt
Editorial Assistance
WEKH/Ryerson University
Guang Ying Mo, PhD
Summer Reilly
WEKH/Ryerson University
PARO Centre for Women’s
Enterprise (WEKH Regional Hub) Henrique Hon, MBA
WEKH/Ryerson University
Sponsors
The sponsors of this project include the Government of Canada,
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Publication date:
January 2021
Mikwam Makwa Cover art by Megan Currie, X-ing Design
Ikwe The cover illustration, inspired by the report itself, is composed of the designer’s
On August 25, 2020, WEKH interpretation of Mikwam Makwa Ikwe (Ice Bear Woman). The woman is standing
took part in a traditional on the banks of a frozen lake. To the north is a
pipe ceremony, where landscape of mountains set against a sky filled by
the name Mikwam Makwa the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights represent
Ikwe was given to WEKH the North, the land of the bear. One teaching
by Elder Margaret Lavallee passed on from generation to generation is the
of Sagkeeng First Nation. belief that the bear’s power includes healing. It is
Mikwam Makwa Ikwe is said that the bear’s healing power is the strongest
Anishinaabe for Ice Bear when the Northern Lights dance in the sky.
Woman. The polar bear is a The mountains are representative of the many
symbol of courage. She is struggles and barriers (the ups and downs) that an
strength. She is a protector. Indigenous woman may face in her entrepreneurial
Her Spirit is always within journey. The woman, facing east, is looking forward
and alongside all Indigenous to the future. The WEKH logo is providing light,
women entrepreneurs guiding the woman on her entrepreneurial journey.
throughout their journeys. The polar bear, looking to the west and the past,
represents knowledge of tradition and culture,
both protecting the woman on her journey that
provides healing from the struggles.
Acknowledgements
We would like to begin this report by acknowledging the Indigenous women entrepreneurs who participated in our
national series of roundtables on Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship between April and June 2020. Their insights
are the strength within this report. We also thank the following organizations in the women’s entrepreneurship
ecosystem across the country, who partnered with us to make these events possible:
> Alberta Indian Investment > Indigenous LIFT Collective > PEI Business Women’s Association
Corporation > Joint Economic Development > Piikani Resource Development Ltd.
> Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Initiative SEED Winnipeg
> ATB Financial > Marieval Enterprise Centre > SFU VentureLabs
> Blood Tribe Economic Development > Membertou Entrepreneur Centre > Shopify
Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI
> Business Link > Skookum Lab
> Mount Royal University
> Clarence Campeau Development > The Artist’s Hub
Fund > National Aboriginal Capital > Ulnooweg
Corporations Association
> Community Futures Alberta > Université de Montréal
> National Indigenous Economic
> Community Futures Manitoba
Development Board > Women Entrepreneurs of
> Community Futures Treaty Seven Saskatchewan
> Native Women’s Association of
> EntrepreNorth Canada > Women in Business New Brunswick
> First Nations Technology Council > Newfoundland and Labrador > Women’s Enterprise Centre (BC)
> First Peoples Economic Growth Organization of Women > Women’s Enterprise Centre of
Fund Entrepreneurs Manitoba
> Futurpreneur > OCAD University > Women’s Enterprise Organizations
> PARO Centre for Women’s of Canada
> Impact Hub Ottawa
Entreprise > Yukon University
> Indigenous Student Centre
> Pauktuuitit
> Indigenous Tourism Alberta
Contents
Executive Summary iii
Introduction 1
National Roundtables on Indigenous
Women’s Entrepreneurship 5
Recommendations 31
Conclusion 36
Appendix: Roundtables by Region 38
References 43
i
ii
Executive
Summary
About the research Research highlights
The goal of this report is to build a In this report, we identify and discuss the
comprehensive description of the barriers following barriers that Indigenous women
and challenges that Indigenous women face entrepreneurs face:
as they develop their enterprises and to > Finance
make recommendations for change. Using
The first barrier is access to financial,
qualitative data collected from a series of
entrepreneurial, and social capital.
roundtable community consultations with
Financial barriers run deeper for Indigenous
more than 350 participants throughout
women and are linked to culture and the
2020, this report presents an analysis of the
relationship Indigenous women have with
rich stories shared by Indigenous women
money.
entrepreneurs about their successes,
challenges, and aspirations for future > Stereotypes and biases connected to
entrepreneurial endeavours. entrepreneurship
It is exhausting for Indigenous women to
We use an inclusive definition of “Indigenous navigate an entrepreneurship ecosystem
women entrepreneur.” We consider that poses barriers around every turn due
entrepreneurs to include those who own to the presence of many institutionalized
small and medium-sized businesses, those stereotypes and biases. Overarching
who own micro-enterprises, those who western cultural values have created
are self-employed, and those who are a mould for entrepreneurship within
unincorporated sole proprietors. We also which Indigenous women no longer see
include a full spectrum of organizations, from themselves.
for-profit entities to social ventures. Further,
we use an inclusive definition of women. By > Indigenous history and culture vs.
women, we mean those who self-identify as westernized thought
women in terms of gender, distinct from sex; When Indigenous peoples manage
this includes cis women, trans women, and their land with a focus on community-
other women. appropriate entrepreneurial ventures, they
enhance opportunities for themselves,
their families, and their communities. Many
Indigenous women put their communities’
needs at the centre of their businesses.
> Political and systemic barriers
Indigenous women reported that political
leadership can cause challenges and
increase barriers, and many programs
that are designed to be supportive can be
overwhelming.
iii
> Lack of mentorship opportunities entrepreneurs face. Funds obtained rarely
Many Indigenous women entrepreneurs went towards personal income. These
have difficulty finding Indigenous women women entrepreneurs identified a gap
business mentors. in knowledge around who Indigenous
peoples are as contemporary people. Many
> Lack of training and education Indigenous women in this sector continue
Proper education must start at a young to struggle to find a sense of mental
age. Indigenous women entrepreneurs security.
are not the only ones who lack business
> Barriers specific to francophone
education and training when starting a
Indigenous women entrepreneurs
venture: entire Indigenous communities
often lack basic infrastructure and access The barriers and struggles that Indigenous
to quality education at the elementary and women face are similar across language
secondary level. groups: lack of mentorship opportunities;
lack of Indigenous women represented in
> Inadequate access to connectivity and entrepreneurship; and troubles accessing
technology financial, entrepreneurial, and social
Unreliable and limited access to the capital. A unique barrier is that non-federal
internet affects many aspects of government entrepreneurial initiatives at
Indigenous women entrepreneurs’ lives. the national level are often unilingual in
This barrier has broad effects and is a English, and thus inaccessible for some of
major societal issue. the francophone population.
> Challenges balancing family and > Barriers related to the COVID-19
community roles pandemic
Indigenous women often start a business The spread of COVID-19 has affected
as a way to fill a community need or gap. roundtable participants’ businesses and
However, balancing community and livelihood in the following ways:
entrepreneurial roles was described as > added stress and panic; businesses
being in “survival mode.” This barrier is being forced to shut down
further exacerbated for entrepreneurs who
> loss of significant revenues; difficulties
are single mothers.
when navigating a switch to
> Lack of confidence e-commerce
Lack of confidence is not a stand-alone > ineligibility for government supports
barrier. Rather, the compounding effects
> lack of access to government supports
from all the aforementioned barriers,
combined with the social, economic, and > overwhelming pandemic information
political factors that have an impact on webinars
Indigenous women in Canada affect their > arising mental health issues
confidence in their ability to successfully
> little connectivity for remote community
run a venture.
without technology
> Barriers specific to Indigenous women
> overuse of time on crisis management
entrepreneurs in the arts and creative
instead of business
industries
Indigenous women entrepreneurs in > feelings of frustration
these industries face many of the same
barriers that other Indigenous women
iv
Conclusion and recommendations
The barriers outlined and other results of the roundtables indicate there is work to do before we
can call ourselves inclusive. In order to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem, it is important
that we continue to create social spaces for Indigenous women to share their voices. To address
the barriers discussed, the ecosystem needs to work to develop meaningful and long-lasting
relationships with Indigenous women entrepreneurs. Ensuring that programming has longevity is
important; adopting the mindset of caring for the next Seven Generations will allow for a relational
approach instead of a transactional approach, and will inherently allow for inclusive program
design. We recommend that all organizations in the entrepreneurship ecosystem develop
holistic and culturally relevant programming around personal financial literacy and business
financial literacy for Indigenous women, and that they ask Indigenous women to design, lead, and
implement programs for their peers.
Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) Enterprise support organizations should:
should: > appoint Indigenous women to their Boards
> utilize all the tools, resources, and of Directors and ensure senior leadership
supports they have available to them has Indigenous women representation.
and on a best-efforts basis to strive to > showcase a wide range of diverse
increase the number of Indigenous women successful Indigenous women
entrepreneurs accessing financing through entrepreneurs by implementing
the network by 50% by 2025. entrepreneurial media campaigns.
> educate Indigenous women entrepreneurs
Mainstream financial institutions should:
on their rights and ensure they understand
> implement mandatory Indigenous the financial landscape they are navigating,
awareness training for all frontline whether it is on or off reserve.
personnel.
> create more mentorship program
> partner with AFIs to create more opportunities by building meaningful
opportunities for diverse Indigenous relationships with potential Indigenous
women to hold decision-making positions women mentors.
in lending roles.
> build childcare into organizations and
> create microloans for Indigenous women. support programs so that motherhood is
> remove discriminating funding not a barrier to success.
requirements against Indigenous women > incorporate flexibility into policies and
entrepreneurs. programs that allow for Indigenous women
> ensure that Indigenous women to work from home when needed, in order
entrepreneurs feel safe, respected, and to care for their children, Elders, etc.
supported throughout the entirety of the > create space in company policies for
lending process. attending Ceremonies, and enabling
access to cultural and traditional supports
when needed.
> develop meaningful relationships with
Elders so that community Elders are
accessible by employees and program
participants when needed.
v
All levels of government should:
> create wage subsidies that encourage
hiring and training Indigenous women.
> collaborate with national and local
Indigenous governing bodies to invest in
the infrastructure needed to ensure all
Indigenous communities have access to
reliable high-speed internet.
> create more incubators and accelerators
for Indigenous women entrepreneurs that
meet their unique needs.
Postsecondary institutions should:
> ensure equitable opportunities are
available for Indigenous women in a variety
of fields.
> showcase Indigenous women who are
excelling in fields traditionally dominated
by men.
vi
Introduction
There are almost 23,000 Indigenous provided an opportunity for Indigenous
women entrepreneurs across Canada,1 and women entrepreneurs to share their stories,
Indigenous women are starting up enterprises successes, and challenges; the consultations
at twice the rate of non-Indigenous women.2 also allowed for the Indigenous women’s
Indigenous women bring new and innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem to collaborate,
products, services, and approaches to connect, and gain a better understanding
the economic community. However, they of how the network relates to their region.
often face barriers in starting and growing The Indigenous women who participated in
their businesses, such as in accessing these roundtables represented a diversity of
financing and mentorship, described in more backgrounds, knowledge levels, skills, regions,
detail in this report. Many barriers faced and businesses. The participants discussed
by Indigenous women entrepreneurs are the challenges they face as Indigenous
also obstacles for women entrepreneurs women entrepreneurs, as well as their
in general. However, intersectionality and aspirations for the future.
important distinctions between the two
groups must be understood to develop and For many Indigenous women entrepreneurs,
implement meaningful policies that build a creative entrepreneurship adds another
more equitable and inclusive ecosystem. The layer to the discussion. In partnership with
2016 Census reported that 22,245 Indigenous OCAD University (a WEKH Regional Hub)
women were self-employed, and that the and their Indigenous Student Centre, WEKH
number of self-employed Indigenous women hosted a special roundtable for Indigenous
was growing at a faster rate than that of women entrepreneurs working in the creative
Indigenous men.3 The National Indigenous industries such as music, artistry, and film.
Economic Development Board also suggests Francophone Indigenous women
that closing the gaps in economic outcomes entrepreneurs also have a unique perspective
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous to bring to the conversation. As such, the
peoples could add $27.7B to Canada’s GDP.4 WEKH Regional Hub led by the Université
This report takes a comprehensive look at de Montréal held a special consultation in
the barriers and challenges that Indigenous French for francophone Indigenous women
women face as they develop their enterprises. entrepreneurs and ecosystem organizations
Importantly, it also makes recommendations within Quebec.
for change. The report is based in part on a
series of roundtable community consultations
that took place throughout 2020. Over
350 participants from across Canada
attended these roundtable conversations,
conducted via videoconference and
organized in concert with WEKH regional
hubs and many stakeholder organizations
for Indigenous women. These consultations
1This report discusses major themes
highlighted in the roundtable conversations.
Inclusive innovation
These include the challenges Indigenous ecosystem model
women entrepreneurs face when working
Forces that advance or impede inclusion
to meet their objectives and aspirations as
and success within the entrepreneurship
entrepreneurs. Specifically, the roundtable
ecosystem in Canada operate at the societal
conversations pointed to the following
(macro), organizational and institutional
barriers, discussed in this report:
(meso), and individual (micro) levels. This
> Finance report draws on the inclusive innovation
> Attitudes ecosystem model for entrepreneurship.5,6,7
The model maps actors and elements at each
> Access to financial, entrepreneurial, and
of these levels as well as the interactions
social capital
that occur between them. The model is
> Stereotypes and biases critical for understanding Indigenous
> Indigenous history and culture vs. women’s experiences in entrepreneurship,
westernized thought encouraging a system-wide analysis in
which one level cannot be isolated from or
> Political and systemic barriers
understood without the others. Barriers at
> Lack of mentorship opportunities the different levels of this core model affect
> Lack of training and education various aspects of Indigenous women’s
experiences in entrepreneurship.
> Inadequate access to connectivity and
technology
Definitions
> Challenges balancing family and
community roles Definitions of “entrepreneur” vary, and can
include sole proprietorships, social ventures,
> Lack of confidence
innovators, and everyone in between. How
Finally, the profiles of diverse Indigenous entrepreneurship is defined has significant
women entrepreneurs from across Turtle implications for who is included and who
Islanda are featured throughout this report. is excluded, which in turn has important
These courageous women participated in implications for policy and decision-making
WEKH’s 2020 roundtables on Indigenous at different levels of the ecosystem.8 For
women entrepreneurship and we thank them example, when looking at statistics using a
for sharing their stories, in their own words, definition of entrepreneurship that excludes
here. self-employment and only accounts for
owners of small or medium-sized businesses
(SMEs), we see that 15.6% of SMEs are
majority women-owned in Canada.9 On the
other hand, if we include self-employment
in our definition of entrepreneurship, this
number changes quite drastically; with that
a “For some Indigenous peoples, Turtle Island refers to the broader definition, 37.4% of self-employed
continent of North America. The name comes from various
Indigenous oral histories that tell stories of a turtle that
Canadians are women.10
holds the world on its back. For some Indigenous peoples,
the turtle is therefore considered an icon of life, and the
story of Turtle Island consequently speaks to various
spiritual and cultural beliefs.” (Source: Robinson, A. (2018).
“Turtle Island”. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island).
2WEKH therefore uses an inclusive definition given that the roundtables took place during
of “Indigenous women entrepreneur.” We the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic
consider entrepreneurs to include those who in Canada, we summarize discussions
own SMEs, those who own micro-enterprises, about participants’ experiences during the
those who are self-employed, and those who pandemic, supported by data from CCAB’s
are unincorporated sole proprietors. We also 2020 COVID-19 Indigenous Business Survey.
include a full spectrum of organization types, Throughout these sections, we present
from for-profit to social ventures. Further, the stories of diverse Indigenous women
we use an inclusive definition of women. By entrepreneurs in their own words, to highlight
women, we mean those who self-identify as their challenges and accomplishments.
women in terms of gender, distinct from sex;
this includes cis women, trans women, and Characteristics of
other women.
Indigenous women
There is substantial diversity among entrepreneurs
Indigenous peoples in Canada and it is
important to recognize that each group The following section is an exploration
has their own unique culture and history. of the characteristics of Indigenous
For the purposes of this report, we use the women entrepreneurs supported by data
term “Indigenous” when referring to First from WEKH’s 2020 State of Women’s
Nations (status and non-status), Métis, and Entrepreneurship in Canada (SOWE) report12;
Inuit peoples. We use the term “Aboriginal” CCAB’s 2016 Promise and Prosperity Report13;
only when referring to a specific legal or and NACCA’s 2020 Indigenous Women
formal concept/name, and do not use Entrepreneurs Survey Report.14
the terms “Indigenous” and “Aboriginal”
interchangeably. We use the term “Indian” Education
only when speaking within the context of The NACCA report states that Indigenous
the Indian Act of 1876, a Canadian Act of people tend to have lower income and
Parliament that concerns registered Indians, education levels than non-Indigenous
their Bands, and the system of Indian Canadians, which limits their ability to build
reserves.11 equity and invest in a business. Among the
survey respondents, 17% said that their own
The remainder of this report is organized as
and their family’s education levels were able
follows. Below we present the characteristics to improve as a result of their entrepreneurial
of Indigenous women entrepreneurs in pursuits; in fact, the report found that
Canada, drawing on recent data. This is supporting Indigenous women entrepreneurs
followed by a section explaining the current leads to more education and training
and sometimes longstanding barriers that opportunities for Indigenous communities
Indigenous women confront in their work, more generally.15 WEKH’s 2020 SOWE report
drawing on our roundtable consultations found that women entrepreneurs are
and recent published reports by the generally better educated when compared
National Aboriginal Capital Corporations to men: only 2.5% of the owners of women-
Association (NACCA), the Canadian Council owned small businesses in Canada have less
of Aboriginal Business (CCAB), and WEKH. than a high school education, whereas 25%
We then present recommendations and have a bachelor’s degree and 15% have a
calls to action for creating a more equitable masters degree or higher.16
and effective innovation ecosystem for
Indigenous women entrepreneurs. Lastly,
3Age Sectoral differences
In Canada, women who are majority owners WEKH and CCAB data have found that both
of SMEs tend to be slightly younger than men: women entrepreneurs and Indigenous
16.3% of women owners are under the age women entrepreneurs are more likely to have
of 40, compared to 14% of men owners. They businesses in service industries.25,26 A 2020
are also less likely than men to be aged 65 or report by WEKH and CCAB found that 74%
over.17,18 Indigenous women entrepreneurs of Indigenous women-owned businesses
however, are even younger, with the recent operated in the service industry, compared
NACCA report indicating that 30% were aged to 54% of those owned by Indigenous
26 to 40.19 men.27 Service industries include retail,
accommodation, tourism, arts, entertainment,
Size and growth of recreation, education, health care, and food
entrepreneurial activities services, among others.
According to Statistics Canada, 92.7% of
Canadian women-owned enterprises are
Company structure
micro-firms (i.e., firms with fewer than 20 According to the January 2019 Labour
employees). Women-owned enterprises are Force Survey, women are less likely to be
less likely to be classified as high-growth than incorporated and have paid employees
those owned by men.20 Similarly, CCAB data (15.3%) compared to men (26.2%).28 Women
from 2015 shows that Indigenous women entrepreneurs are also more likely to have
entrepreneurs experienced less revenue no paid employees when compared to men
growth over the period of one year than (78.4% vs. 67.5%).29 CCAB’s data similarly
Indigenous men (36% vs. 44%).21 Additionally, shows that Indigenous men are more likely
NACCA found that 38% of the Indigenous to have paid employees or contractors
women entrepreneurs they surveyed than Indigenous women (40% vs. 30%).30
employed between one and four individuals. Both the CCAB data and the NACCA survey
Similarly, CCAB data shows that men are indicate that the majority of Indigenous
more likely (40%) to have employees than women entrepreneurs operate within a
women (30%).22 The figure for all Indigenous sole proprietorship structure (67% and 71%
entrepreneurs with employees (regardless of respectively).31,32
gender) is 34.3%, according to a recent report
by Global Affairs Canada and CCAB.23,24
4National Roundtables
on Indigenous Women’s
Entrepreneurship
From April to June 2020, WEKH hosted a
series of national roundtables on Indigenous
Barriers and challenges
women’s entrepreneurship across Canada. confronting Indigenous
A total of 16 roundtables were held via women entrepreneurs
video conference, bringing together over
350 participants. (See the Appendix for This section details the challenges that
the number of participants by region.) were shared by Indigenous women at the
Organizations in the entrepreneurship roundtable discussions. Based on the
ecosystem were invited to attend these conversations in each region, we identified
sessions as an opportunity to learn and the following overarching themes:
share. Indigenous women entrepreneurs
> Finance
participated in these community
consultations on a voluntary basis. The > Attitudes
conversations at the roundtables revealed > Access to financial, entrepreneurial, and
that while Indigenous women are unique in social capital
their skills and backgrounds, they share many
> Stereotypes and biases connected to
challenges and commonalities when it comes
entrepreneurship
to their experiences with entrepreneurship.
> Indigenous history and culture vs.
At the roundtables, Indigenous women westernized thought
participants shared their thoughts on what
> Political and systemic barriers
“Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship”
means to them, the barriers they face (both > Lack of mentorship opportunities
related to the COVID-19 pandemic and not), > Lack of training and education
as well as their vision for an innovation
> Access to connectivity and technology
ecosystem that is fully inclusive of Indigenous
women. The findings from these discussions > Balancing family and community roles
are elaborated in the sections below. In a > Confidence
subsequent section, we draw on the main
themes from these discussions to present
recommendations for future action.
The conversations at the roundtables revealed that while Indigenous
women are unique in their skills and backgrounds, they share many
challenges and commonalities when it comes to their experiences with
entrepreneurship.
5Finance Some of the women at the roundtables
described money as being a sensitive topic
ATTITUDES within the Indigenous community, explaining
The financial barriers that Indigenous women that some groups avoid talking about it
face cannot be solved by simply creating altogether. This can hinder their ability to run
more funding opportunities for Indigenous a successful business.
women entrepreneurs. While this would
Further, earlier research with Indigenous
certainly help, the financial barriers run
communities has shown a strong emphasis
deeper for Indigenous women and are linked
on sharing and providing, with discussions of
to culture and the relationship Indigenous
achievement and success tending to exclude
women have with money.33,34
money and material gain. Rather, there is
For many women participating in the an emphasis on success as a collective
roundtables, a sense of scarcity was experience based on contributions to others,
prevalent, relating to having grown up regardless of material value.36
impoverished. This was described as a feeling
From a westernized point of view, there is
of precarity and “never having enough,”
a positive correlation between money and
leading to an unhealthy relationship with
success. This view is sometimes seen as
money characterized by an avoidance of
clashing with traditional values of collectivity.
discussing money-related matters. This
However, money is imperative for a business
can result in a lack of personal financial
to succeed. It is important that Indigenous
skills such as understanding budgeting
women have adequate opportunities to
and/or credit. There are also situations
learn about basic financial skills, such as
where budgeting is never learned because
understanding the value of equity and the
households simply cannot manage finances
importance of budgeting.
effectively due to the exorbitant prices of
basic necessities in the North. Indigenous
ACCESS TO FINANCIAL,
peoples are disproportionately impacted
ENTREPRENEURIAL, AND SOCIAL
by rising food costs, and many on-reserve
CAPITAL
households are experiencing a food security
crisis.35 The negative issues surrounding poor Notwithstanding the attitudinal barriers
infrastructure in Indigenous communities all described above, an ability to access start-
contribute to and reinforce this mindset of up capital was discussed in depth at each
scarcity. roundtable. It was often the first barrier
to be identified. Many of the women at
the roundtables shared that applying for
financing can be a very time-consuming
For many women participating in the process involving much red tape. Table
1 lists the reasons shared by roundtable
roundtables, a sense of scarcity was
participants for why they had trouble
prevalent, relating to having grown accessing financing for their business.
up impoverished. This was described
as a feeling of precarity and “never
having enough,” leading to an
unhealthy relationship with money
characterized by an avoidance of
discussing money-related matters.
6TABLE 1
Barriers to Accessing Business Financing
BARRIERS TO ACCESSING:
Financial Capital Entrepreneurial Capital Social Capital
(Supply Side) (Technical Competencies) (Networks, Role Models, Advisors, etc.)
Lack of available microloans for small Challenges navigating through Limited role models in business to
business and microbusiness models.i the lending process: types of learn from.
loans, how to use them, and how
to find them.
Aboriginal financial institutions (AFIs) Lack of business acumen Programming lacking an
have greater demand for loans than to understand the business Indigenous lens thereby creating
they are able to provide.ii landscape (Canada Revenue discriminatory factors.
Agency, taxation), especially
when it comes to running a
business on reserve.
Personal circumstances that Lack of education around the An absence of Indigenous women
impact access to credit include: credit process. in finance and lending roles
> access to savings creates additional opportunities
for bias while also affecting
> credit scores
Indigenous women’s ability to feel
> access to guarantors or co-signers represented and understood in
> collateral the business and financial system.vi
> experiencing application/rejection
fatigueiii
> a risk aversion to debt
High interest rates and many Anxieties and/or fears around Difficulty finding lending
constraints due to the Indian Act repaying loans.v institutions that understand
(discussed in more detail in the culture/values, thereby
section on political and systemic negatively impacting Indigenous
barriers below). women entrepreneurs’ views of
mainstream financial institutions.vii
The many women entrepreneurs who
are not incorporated may be excluded
from certain grants and/or programs.iv
Notes:
i
The Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat report that 88% of Indigenous businesswomen responded that
they considered themselves microbusinesses.37 The Women of the Métis Nation report that almost all Métis women entrepreneurs
operate microbusinesses.38
An Impakt Corp report states that financing is an issue both for individual entrepreneurs and for certain AFIs which have a greater
ii
demand for loans than they have capital to lend.39
iii
Not knowing why a loan or application was rejected added to this feeling.
An Indigenous woman operating on reserve who has chosen not to incorporate due to Indian Act restraints is ineligible for many
iv
of the government supports that are available for small businesses.
v
Some of the women at the roundtables described themselves as being risk averse and viewed taking on a loan as “too risky” when
“trying to put food on the table.”
Some of the roundtable participants shared that they had feelings ranging from “having a level of discomfort” to ”feeling
vi
discriminated against” when visiting mainstream financial institutions.
Women’s preferences for relationships over transactional exchanges is harder to achieve between Indigenous women and non-
vii
Indigenous people, especially non-Indigenous men.
7Vicky auf der Mauer
Decolonizing Money:
Money Mindset
Coaching
ONTARIO
See It.
Dismantling “money beliefs” Be It.
and building new mindsets #SeeItBeIt
Vicky auf de Mauer is a successful serial entrepreneur residing in Toronto.
Her skills and experience allowed her to launch a restaurant as a joint venture
and have pushed her to establish her newest independent venture called
Decolonizing Money: Money Mindset Coaching. Speaking of the restaurant, Vicky
says, “during that time, I fell in love with
entrepreneurship—[entrepreneurship] is
a creative venture and requires us to be “Despite my own fear of taking
a leader in our own lives.” However, the
on a controversial topic, my
restaurant was not her vision. “At the time,
intention is to support women
I did not have the audacity to claim my
like me who are answering
own dreams because of my post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD),” but after some time, their own call to creativity and
a calling for entrepreneurship allowed Vicky leadership. We have so many in
to leave the restaurant to pursue her own our community who are doing
venture. “The call to entrepreneurship is and selling, but just making
greater than me, something within me that money is not enough. We need to
needs to be answered.” She began doing dismantle the money beliefs that
contract work and encountered for the have been given to us by the very
first time what getting paid for her worth systems that oppress us.”
and experience felt like, as well as what
abundance and financial well being does for
one’s self-care and healing.
Her new business, Decolonizing Money: Money Mindset Coaching, provides a
sacred space of teaching, as well as sharing knowledge and experience, all while
providing support and encouragement to anyone who wants to have conversations
about money.
Vicky sees that there is a need within her community to talk about money and that
there are many potential benefits that can result from having this conversation.
“We can start the process of reconciliation by personally cleaning up our money
mindset and bringing in abundance through our creativity. The more of us that do
this work, the more we can support our communities.”
8The roundtables involved diverse groups Cultural stereotypes influence the way
of Indigenous women, some of whom had Indigenous women see entrepreneurship.
experience on both sides of the funding Roundtable discussions highlighted that
spectrum, in both a lending capacity and Indigenous women do not want to participate
as an entrepreneur applying for financing in something that does not honour their
and grants. One woman shared that she histories and values. Therefore, how we frame
is currently the only Indigenous woman discussions around entrepreneurship is
employed at her AFI, and when Indigenous imperative for inclusivity. WEKH’s SOWE report
women come in to see her, she sees highlights how highly gendered notions of
noticeable relief from them once they know entrepreneurship shape not only program
they are able to speak with an Indigenous design and the experiences of existing
woman. In order to move forward, elements women entrepreneurs, but also affect the
within the broader financial ecosystem must aspirations of women who are less likely to
work together in order to address the barriers see themselves as entrepreneurs.42 For many
described in this section. Indigenous women, they may not identify
themselves as entrepreneurs because they
Stereotypes and biases connected see themselves as “creators”; that is the
to entrepreneurship culture that has been passed down to them,
Cultural narratives, norms, and stereotypes and they do not associate with the word
about what kinds of people are effective “entrepreneur.”
entrepreneurs have often excluded This has significant implications when we
women and so can be a barrier to potential attempt to quantify the number of Indigenous
women entering the field.40 These barriers women entrepreneurs in Canada. Current
are compounded for Indigenous women definitions of entrepreneurship may not
entrepreneurs. The roundtable participants only exclude a large number of possible
shared that it can be exhausting trying to Indigenous women entrepreneurs in Canada,
navigate an entrepreneurship ecosystem but can also affect the stereotypes and
that consistently raises barriers due to biases that exist. Given existing definitions,
the presence of many institutionalized Indigenous women may not see themselves
stereotypes and biases. Recognizing the as entrepreneurs. For example, the most
biases will enable the structural changes that common current definition of entrepreneur
are needed to create an ecosystem that is
is: “the owner of an incorporated business
truly inclusive. WEKH’s SOWE report states with at least one employee.” By this definition,
that a systematic approach is critical; this 15.6% of entrepreneurs in Canada are
means applying a gender and diversity lens women. However, when we include self-
to the system, identifying the levers that employed women, the statistic jumps to
drive change, and rigorously considering 37.4%.43 In addition, 70% of Indigenous
policies and processes at every level.41 Many women entrepreneurs in Canada do not have
of the roundtable participants shared that employees44 and, as of 2016, 41% of self-
when societies assume entrepreneurship employed Indigenous persons were women.45
is one “certain way” (i.e., with competitive,
individualistic, western standards),
they lose sight of the possibilities that
entrepreneurship can hold.
9The lasting effects of colonization have left
Indigenous women learning how to centre Participants spoke of Indigenous
their own voices again. In the roundtables, we
heard that Indigenous women are sometimes
women often having a harder
operating from a mindset of scarcity, as time breaking into fields
discussed earlier, because colonization has traditionally dominated by
forced them into this way of thinking. While men. Indigenous women may
colonization affects all Indigenous peoples,
also have a fear of asking for
examining statistics related to violence
against Indigenous women shows that help, stemming from a lack of
Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples approachability or openness in
are particularly targeted.46 According to the certain industries—young women
National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered do not know where to start
Indigenous Women and Girls, the number
because they feel they are not
of Indigenous women and girls missing or
murdered in Canada is not known—however, represented in business.
the Inquiry could conclude that thousands of
Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA
peoples have been lost due to the tragic
impacts of colonization.47 Many roundtable participants agreed that
Indigenous women are becoming more visible
There are societal stereotypes of as entrepreneurs and it is more common to
entrepreneurship in Canada that are be an Indigenous woman entrepreneur in
highly gendered, with women being non-traditional fields than it was 10 years
significantly underrepresented in stories ago. However, many Indigenous women
of entrepreneurship.48,49,50 The roundtable entrepreneurs are also concurrently
participants identified that there is realizing that they face very real gender
gender bias stemming from how men biases when pursuing a business venture.
treat Indigenous women and that largely, In NACCA’s 2020 Report on Indigenous
entrepreneurship is still seen as “a man’s Women Entrepreneurship in Canada, the
world.” This barrier manifests in many first enabling factor for Indigenous women’s
important ways. Roundtable participants entrepreneurial success is acknowledging
spoke of Indigenous women often having a that these gender biases exist.51 Once this
harder time breaking into fields traditionally fact is recognized, the entrepreneurship
dominated by men. Indigenous women may ecosystem can assess programs and work to
also have a fear of asking for help, stemming eliminate gender bias in program and service
from a lack of approachability or openness in provision.52
certain industries—young women do not know
where to start because they feel they are not
represented in business. Some of the women
felt that when they bring their business ideas
forward, they are not put into action as readily
as ideas brought forward by men.
10Nicole Matos
Rivet Management
ALBERTA
Disrupting the traditionally See It.
men-dominated construction Be It.
industry with a new model #SeeItBeIt
Nicole Matos is a Métis wife, mother of three, entrepreneur, and CEO of Rivet Management.
Nicole was obsessed with renovations, building, and design since she was a young child—
often opting to watch home renovation shows over Saturday morning cartoons. Building
upon humble beginnings, Nicole began her career in retail management, working her way
up into big box retail. On the side, she diligently saved and bought her first property to
renovate and flip at the age of 19. By the age of 25 she had renovated and sold five homes.
After becoming a mother, Nicole moved into a project management contract position with
the government to allow for better hours with her daughter. As her contract came to an
end, and now being a single mother, Nicole went door-to-door until she convinced a local
construction company to hire her into her dream project management position. She took
night courses at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and loved her job.
In 2008, because of the economic downturn, Nicole and her co-workers were all laid off.
Nicole saw this as an opportunity. In 2009, she founded Rivet, a construction company
that focuses on tenant improvements. Rivet had a record-breaking first year, but as
the economy continued to suffer, Nicole decided that she would approach the market
differently than her men-run competitors. Step one was fulfilling her life-long dream of
obtaining formal design training. She was now able to engage clients earlier in the process
and provide more value. Rivet still focuses on tenant improvements and is working to
disrupt the entire construction industry. All Rivet project managers and designers are
trained in both modalities. There is also a huge focus on hiring skilled women by being
flexible with work hours around kids’ school hours. The company is focused on creating
more value for their clients by having a single source offering and by offering superior
branded design with top quality talent. Rivet is also actively working on creating joint
ventures and collaborating on projects to support Indigenous businesses and communities.
11Indigenous history and culture vs. In contrast with these prevailing norms, in
westernized thought a recent study, 83% of Indigenous women
entrepreneurs identified their community
Entrepreneurship is a traditional Indigenous relationships as being the most important
value and practice, and Indigenous peoples factor in the success of their business.57
participated in and led their own forms Indigenous women-owned businesses are
of economies prior to European contact. often responding to a direct community
Indigenous peoples have produced and need and have a very community centred
traded goods since time immemorial; pre- goal—that may be why Indigenous women
contact economic activity went beyond experience lower loan write-offs than men
trade and was considered to be a ceremonial (5% versus 19% respectively).58 A strong
practice.53 Indigenous peoples were theme that came through in the roundtables
experienced land managers, and there has was that many Indigenous women put their
always been a strong connection between communities’ needs at the centre of their
land and well being.54 As discussed at the businesses.
roundtables, entrepreneurship is often a
contemporary example of this connection— Overarching western cultural values have
when Indigenous peoples manage their land created an entrepreneurship mould within
with a focus on community-appropriate which Indigenous women no longer see
entrepreneurial ventures, they enhance themselves fitting. Many of the Indigenous
opportunities for themselves, their families, women shared that they feel they are trying
and their communities. to fit into a system that was not created for
them. The roundtable participants shared
Western thought holds a highly men-centric a view that non-Indigenous people simply
view of entrepreneurship. For example, will never understand the challenges that
an analysis of the Globe and Mail’s news Indigenous women face. Moving forward,
reporting from April 2017 to March 2019 programming that is inclusive of Indigenous
found that 60 out of the 149 articles dealing women must be created by and for
with entrepreneurship quoted only men as Indigenous women. For example, storytelling
subject matter experts. This study also found is traditional in many Indigenous cultures
that only 19 of the articles were exclusively and is used as a way to teach values and
about women’s entrepreneurship and many traditions. Oral histories are important to pass
of those were focused on the barriers these knowledge down through the generations.
entrepreneurs experienced.55 Western More opportunities for Indigenous women
thought also holds a highly individualistic entrepreneurs to share their knowledge,
view of entrepreneurship. Studies regarding stories, and gifts should be created so that
the relation between individualism and the younger generation can see themselves
entrepreneurship within a society suggest as entrepreneurs. Indigenous women want
that the entrepreneurial process is a highly to unweave the narrative that has been told
individualistic one, and higher levels of for many generations and instead, weave
individualism explain the relatively higher together a new collective understanding of
numbers of entrepreneurial activities within a what it means to be a businesswoman on
society.56 Turtle Island.
12Joella Hogan
Yukon Soaps
YUKON
See It.
Entrepreneurship that reconnects Be It.
people to the land #SeeItBeIt
Joella Hogan owns and operates the Yukon Soaps Company in her traditional
territory in Mayo, Yukon. Growing up in a family of business owners, Joella knew
she would take the same path of entrepreneurship. When Joella was presented
with the opportunity to purchase a local soap making business, she saw it as a
way to reconnect people to the land. Her handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, and
various other products are made using local ingredients and knowledge from
her elders and community. Featuring wild rose petals, juniper berries, a Yukon-
shaped press, and the beadwork of Indigenous artisans, her soaps are infused and
imprinted with the spirit of the Yukon.
Many of the products found in her soap are from the forest, meaning she relies
on her community, family, and friends to harvest these gifts from the land. She
believes that encouraging harvesting for her soaps allows people the opportunity
to learn and discuss the ways that traditional plants were used and continue to be
used. By using local plants, employing local youth, using traditional beadwork and
plant knowledge, and using Northern Tutchone language when possible, Joella
has found a way to reconnect with her community, elders, land, and language. She
aspires for the Yukon Soaps Company to not only be her business, but for it to be
Mayo’s soap business.
Her love for what she does allows her to play a bigger role in the local economy and
provide employment opportunities to the community. She strives to reinvest her
profits from the Yukon Soaps Company back into her community, and to support
other local artists.
13Political and systemic barriers political leadership can cause challenges and
increase barriers for them.
An inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship
ecosystem requires an intersectional Inuit and Métis peoples are not part of the
lens that considers the many—often Indian Act but are affected similarly by other
overlapping—identities that people can federal legislation and court rulings.66 Some
hold. An intersectional viewpoint recognizes non-status First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
that the barriers faced by women are peoples become ineligible for certain funding
compounded when you add additional lenses streams due to status requirements of certain
such as Indigeneity, gender identity, sexual funds.
orientation, and disability.59 Indigenous
women entrepreneurs must navigate a The roundtable participants shared that
strict legal landscape that is exclusive to it is difficult to keep “battling the system,”
Indigenous peoples in Canada, living both on and that systemic barriers are a result of
or off reserve. institutionalized racism and have affected
their ability to start a business. The women
A particularly unique barrier that many shared that with some programs, it can be
Indigenous women entrepreneurs may face very labour intensive to apply and fill out
is posed by the Indian Act. The Canadian applications, only to be ultimately screened
Parliament enacted the Indian Act in 1876 to out because they meet too few of the
define the relationship between the federal requirements. One Indigenous woman in
government and First Nations peoples, and construction shared that a significant amount
it remains the central legislation affecting of work is required to be considered in the
First Nations peoples today.60 The Act defined federal set-aside program (the Government
which land was set aside for use by First of Canada’s Procurement Strategy for
Nations peoples but still held by the Crown, Aboriginal Business)67 and applicants may still
and outlined the severely limited control First be required to put up huge bonds. This can
Nations have over reserve land.61 lead to non-Indigenous companies getting
contracts because they are able to put up
The Indian Act significantly hinders
these bonds. Indigenous women are currently
entrepreneurship and business
underrepresented in construction when
development for Indigenous women living
compared to Indigenous men (5% women vs.
on reserve. Section 87 acts as a barrier
15% men).68,69 CCAB reports that Indigenous
to business development on reserve,
women are less likely than Indigenous men to
whereby corporations are ineligible for tax
find the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal
exemptions—as a result of Section 87, only
Business (PSAB) eligibility criteria to be
14% of businesses operating on reserve are
reasonable.70 Roundtable participants shared
incorporated.62 Section 89 restricts the use
that the criteria for many programs that
of property on reserve as collateral63 and this
should support them can be overwhelming.
deters mainstream lenders from providing
loans. The Act also has land title and property
transfer limitations which impede access to
property on which to operate a business.64
For these reasons and others, navigating
the Indian Act and the bureaucracy of band
politics makes it three times as complex to
start a business on reserve than elsewhere.65
The women at the roundtables shared that
14Membership fees for various business
support organizations were also discussed as
a barrier for some Indigenous women. Some
support organizations require a membership
fee to join; the women shared that this fee
can be difficult to pay if their business is new
and they are balancing many other financial
commitments. The women also shared that
some business support organizations are
not well equipped to support the needs of
Indigenous women entrepreneurs, with many
of the programs offered being urban-centric.
Some of the women shared how they struggle
to feel welcome in certain spaces connected
to such organizations.
The conversations around political and
systemic barriers demonstrated that
Indigenous women are both in need of
business support and willing to seek help,
but they face many barriers to access. This
may mean that programs that have been
perceived as being accessible to all women
actually exclude Indigenous women.
The conversations around
political and systemic barriers
demonstrated that Indigenous
women are both in need of
business support and willing to
seek help, but they face many
barriers to access.
15Janelle Desrosiers
Bloom + Brilliance
MANITOBA
See It.
Decolonizing design for Be It.
feminist leaders #SeeItBeIt
I am Janelle Desrosiers, Métis and French-Canadian from Treaty 1 (Winnipeg,
Manitoba). I am on a journey of reconnecting with my culture, heritage, and family
history, as well as decolonizing my identity and my business. I am the founder and
creative director of Bloom + Brilliance, a feminist design agency based in Winnipeg.
Our mission is to help feminist leaders build businesses and organizations that are
not only fulfilling and financially successful, but that are forces for social change.
We do this with collaborative, intuitive, and inspired design services—creating
brands, websites, and strategies. We give clients the framework, support, and tools
to build a better world.
My mission was inspired by my personal experience, and that of many of my family
members, friends, colleagues, and clients. Our experience has been that the
professional world does not acknowledge or appreciate the wisdom and the many
roles women have in our communities.
My grandmother was held back from exploring her potential because of both
external and internalized racism and sexism. She wanted more for her daughters,
so she supported their passions in every way she could. It made a huge difference
for my mother and my aunts. Each generation of women in my family is working to
break the cycle of trauma we have inherited. I was able to pursue post-secondary
education, and I had experience early on with professional situations in academia,
government, and corporate organizations. But even with those advantages, I have
still found it hard to access funding and navigate other opportunities. In the past, I
often felt like a loner, rebelling against a set of rules that so many others seemed to
be able to follow effortlessly. Over 15 years later, I understand how much this world
is set up to exclude women, that it does not have to be this way, and that I am a
piece of a large and growing group of people across the globe who are all doing the
work to build a better world. I am so excited to be a part of it!
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