Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation in Northern Tourism Development
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), in collaboration with the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, invited Indigenous women entrepreneurs in Canada’s northernmost communities to participate in the Northern WE in Tourism study. This study sought to identify Northern Indigenous women’s challenges in accessing the skills and resources needed to build sustainable livelihoods in tourism and co-create recommendations to support and stimulate social innovation within the tourism industry in Northern Canada.
This study synthesizes the challenges and successes of Indigenous women in search of sustainable livelihoods related to tourism in the North. The overarching objective is to collaborate and co-create knowledge with First Nations, Inuit and Métis women entrepreneurs in Canada’s North.
The long-term well-being of Indigenous communities in the North requires the integration of Indigenous worldviews into Western systems and business models to advance the cultural alignment of economic development. Building bridges and identifying gateways to economic self-sufficiency, innovation and tourism development grounded in traditional knowledge and values will increase the well-being of Indigenous women entrepreneurs in tourism in the North.
This study uses the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, an Indigenist pedagogy that seeks common ground by drawing on the strengths of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to streamline access to the right training and resources for Indigenous women entrepreneurs at all stages of tourism business development. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with Indigenous women entrepreneurs in the region and the organizations that serve them. Quantitative research was collected through two surveys.
Key Insights
Systemic issues experienced by Indigenous women entrepreneurs in the North, such as discrimination, loss of culture, lateral violence, intergenerational trauma, and stress and mental health issues, affect the ability to maintain a business.
The proportion of businesses in Canada owned by Indigenous women has seen steady growth and more than doubled from 2015 to 2019.
Closing the gaps in opportunities for Indigenous communities across Canada would result in an increase in GDP of $27.7 billion annually, a boost of about 1.5% to the Canadian economy.
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