There are Indigenous co-op success stories from coast to coast to coast – we’re happy to share a few.
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Collaborating for a larger impact
After years of working in different fields and for different organizations and individuals, a group of experts and consultants sought a workplace built to take care of one another and their communities. To create a business that would give them the work environment and impact they wanted, this group formed Oodenaw: Urban Indigenous Consulting Cooperative.
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Elders create a co–op to preserve language and traditions
Elders from Cote First Nation have formed the Kici Anishinabek Kananakachiwewat Community Service Co-operative to better support youth in their community and help preserve their language.
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Securing Services
After noticing that teachers working on the Onion Lake Cree Nation weren’t receiving the same benefits as teachers in non-Indigenous communities, a local leader saw an opportunity to provide financial services for his community — and communities across the country. He created the financial services co-operative, Many Nations.
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Creating authentic art
An Alberta college saw an opportunity to help its students market their work. Through a partnership with local organizations and educational institutions, the group achieved their mutual goals by forming the Nehiyawaskiy Indigenous Peoples Art co-op.
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Collaboration and sustainability
B.C. is home to a group of independent salmon fisheries that are owned and operated by eight First Nations fisheries. To sustainably preserve salmon numbers and to remain competitive with large-scale fisheries, the independent fisheries agreed to form a co-op to streamline their processing and marketing, making it more efficient for everyone.
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A “community first” approach
When the last locally-owned business planned to sell, a remote Métis town had to brainstorm ways to save the business. Things were looking bleak until one community member had the idea to start a co-operative.
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Local Control and Wealth Creation
For the 300 people in Old Crow, the Yukon’s only fly-in community, having a DIY mindset isn’t a trend — it’s a way of life. So, instead of renewing the lease with the company that ran their grocery store, they chose to run it as a co-op in a new facility and keep the wealth in their community.
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Commercializing Craftsmanship
A group of self-starting businesswomen in Winnipeg find interest in their blanket-making and look to formalizing their work into a business. By turning to local organizations for support and guidance, the group has their bases covered as they form a worker’s co-operative.
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