NB’s Nation2Nation Consulting Named Aboriginal Start-Up of the Year
SAINT JOHN – New Brunswick’s Nation2Nation Consulting has been named the 2016 Aboriginal Start-Up of the Year at the 8th Atlantic Aboriginal Entrepreneur Awards, hosted by Ulnooweg Wednesday night.
Nation2Nation Consulting works to build partnerships between First Nations communities and Canadian businesses. President Jason Peters told Huddle that this receiving this recognition is both a honour, and humbling.
“It means a lot since I was given the award by the Ulnooweg’s Selection Committee comprised of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal professionals from around Atlantic Canada,” Peters said. “This award symbolizes years of hard work and positive relationship building with the Mi’kmaw and Maliseet communities and non-Aboriginal business and organizations.”
Since launching last year, Peters says uptake in business has been swift.
“I took a calculated risk in baseing my business on the Peace and Friendship Treaties that were signed around 1779,” Peters said. “These treaties were unique in that the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy believed that this binding agreement would allow their people to coincide with the Europeans in a respectful manner. This would permit all to work together for a better tomorrow. These treaties are a ‘best policy for business.'”
Last year the the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat released a report of the Atlantic Indigenous economy. The study found that Indigenous band, community, organizational and business spending, as well as net household spending have a total economic impact of $1.144 billion. It says the Indigenous economy creates 16,733 full time equivalent positions in employment and contributes $184.5 million in total tax revenues and generates $710.9 million in household income in Atlantic Canada.
Peter says this, along with the federal government’s improved working partnership with Aboriginal communities, shows everyone needs to work together to improve the economy, and that First Nations communities are economic engines to their regions.
“The silos of Anglophone, Francophone, Mi’kmaq and Maliseet are no longer working,” Peters said. “Like it or not, we are all in the same canoe and it’s taking on water.”
This year, Nation2Nation Consulting doesn’t plan on slowing down.
“I am happy to say that Nation2Nation Consulting has a number of interesting opportunities coming up around the Atlantic region which will benefit both First Nation communities, and the surrounding non-Aboriginal communities, from an economic development perspective,” Peters said.