TORONTO, ON – Humber College, in partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), is producing interactive case studies featuring success stories from Indigenous entrepreneurs, along with partnerships and collaborations within Indigenous communities. The project, called Indsights, was developed in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for Indigenous voices to become part of mainstream educational curriculum. This project is funded by the College and Community Social Innovation Fund grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The case studies highlight Canadian Indigenous business owners as they confront economic barriers and emerge as innovative leaders. As demonstrated in research previously conducted by CCAB, economic development in Indigenous communities positively impacts the general well-being of the community. Indigenous economic growth contributes $30 billion to Canada’s economy annually, leading to increased job opportunities, skill development, and capacity building in Indigenous communities.
“Using innovative digital storytelling, we are hoping to inspire and encourage future Indigenous business leaders,” says Tabatha Bull, CCAB President and CEO. “And by showcasing a diverse range of businesses with unique economic structures, we’re demonstrating there is no one-size-fits-all paradigm for Indigenous economic success. Diverse, robust sustainable Indigenous businesses will propel economic reconciliation and the entire Canadian economy forward.”
Indsights seeks to challenge perceptions of Indigenous economic prosperity and decolonize through engaging content and positive stories. Through the project, Canadian post-secondary students are educated on the importance of Indigenous economic development in Canada, demonstrated through case studies, partnerships, and illustrations of positive stakeholder engagement.
Humber College and CCAB share a vision of realizing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report’s 94 Calls to Action, especially Calls 62 to 65 which pertain to education. Indsights is part of Humber and CCAB’s effort to advance these Calls by incorporating Indigenous voices into mainstream academic curriculum.
Though called for by both the TRC and the National Indigenous Economic Strategy, there are currently limited resources for post-secondary educators to include Indigenous content in their curriculum outside of Indigenous studies programs. Indsights seeks to close this gap and create innovative open educational resources for post-secondary educators to integrate into their curriculums. Educators and learners can access Indsights on the project website at no cost. To accommodate diverse learning needs, the materials include text-based cases, supplementary videos, and a discussion facilitator guide for educators.
“Indsights is about developing content that teachers and professors can integrate into their courses, curriculums, and classrooms,” says Audrey Wubbenhorst, a professor at Humber College and principal investigator with Indsights. “It’s important for learners to see Indigenous businesses thriving across the country and hear their stories. We’re incredibly thankful to our participants for sharing their time and stories for the benefit of future generations.”
For more information on the project, including case studies, visit indsights.ca.
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About Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
CCAB is committed to the full participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s economy. As a national, non-partisan association, its mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities, and awareness. CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to its members to cultivate economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples and businesses across Canada. For more information, visit www.ccab.com.
About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Innovation. Opportunity. Partnership. Support. At Humber College, we bring it all to more than 86,000 learners, in-person and online. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber provides in-depth theoretical learning, hands-on, work-integrated experiences and applied research opportunities to students at three main Toronto locations and beyond. Extensive industry connections, experienced faculty and a comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and certificates prepare career-ready global citizens for success in the future world of work. Visit humber.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Matthew Hildebrandt
Symmetry Public Relations
matthew@symmetry-pr.com | 306.241.8116
Melody Lynch
Symmetry Public Relations
melody@symmetry-pr.com | 306.250.7235
Sylvie Lendvay
Humber College
sylvie.lendvay@humber.ca | 416.729.8940