Luke Wassegijig, supervisor at Wikwemikong Tourism, in the course of the Business enterprise Improvement Panel on Day 2 of the Anishinabek Country Economic Enhancement Possibilities Forum 2023, held Oct. 24-26 at the Quattro Resort and Conference Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. – Shots by Laura Barrios
By Rick Garrick
SAULT STE. MARIE — Emerging chances across multiple sectors ended up highlighted all through the Business enterprise Development Panel presentation on Oct. 25 at the inaugural once-a-year Anishinabek Nation Financial Development Opportunities Forum 2023. The Discussion board was hosted by the Anishinabek Nation Financial Development Office from Oct. 24-26 at the Quattro Lodge and Meeting Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to showcase its initiatives and those of its member nations, give actionable insights and phone calls to action, and spotlight procedures and funding prospects from Ontario and Canada.
“Our technique … has been about destination advancement, which then turned into small business development,” states Luke Wassegijig, supervisor at Wikwemikong Tourism. “Hearing the presentation yesterday about telling our tale, I desired to make confident that we tell our tale and notify our tale through our lens simply because all over again, as a result of colonialism, through Household College, it’s significant to know the operate we do is about altering a colonial narrative and we do it as a result of Indigenous tourism.”
Wassegijig says their mission and vision has been to make a foundation for sustainable tourism advancement that will situation Wiikwemkoong as a four-period location.
“We’re accomplishing that by producing good quality current market-ready solutions, services, and gatherings that will help the progress of the Indigenous tourism on Manitoulin Island and Killarney,” Wassegijig suggests. “In this article-COVID planet and publish-Kamloops planet, we have uncovered so quite a few domestic travellers that were looking for a authentic practical experience and really searching for a legitimate way to reconcile, so what we did is commenced creating applications about that. With our experiential tourism applications, it’s completely not about commodifying our culture. For us, it’s about changing that colonial narrative, and altering that colonial narrative by way of Indigenous tourism is the greatest way of doing it for the reason that it’s an option for you to tell your tales, it is an option for Indigenous youth to reclaim individuals stories, reclaim that culture, reclaim that language, and reclaim their link to the land.”
Steven Debassige, cultural integrity direct at Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO), addresses individuals of the Anishinabek Nation Financial Growth Possibilities Discussion board 2023 through the Organization Improvement Panel on Oct. 25.
Steven Debassige, cultural integrity guide at Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO), claims ITO is the province’s to start with and only devoted Indigenous tourism organization that supports economic stability for communities as a result of experiential tourism.
“As Luke pointed out, the options are broad throughout not just Anishinabek Country but throughout the province about becoming in a position to assist guidance communities and firms and business owners to share their tales, share their passions, and explain what it is we do as Anishinabek folks and sharing that with the world populace,” Debassige says, noting that ITO’s four pillars are cultural authenticity, promoting and branding, workforce development, and product advancement. “Every meeting that we attend we consider to convey another person within our member corporation to aid elevate their platform and share their practical experience with the audience.”
Jennifer King-Callon, Indigenous enterprise advisor at Indigenous Tourism Ontario, speaks about a photograph of Yard River’s Ojibway Park that is portion of a Place Ontario marketing and advertising advertising in the course of the inaugural yearly Anishinabek Country Financial Advancement Alternatives Forum 2023.
Jennifer King-Callon, Indigenous business advisor at ITO, states ITO has 5 business advisors situated throughout the province who supply a vary of plans and workshops.
“There are options with becoming an ITO member — we have the possibility to provide in movie crews,” King-Callon says. “This particular image is Ojibway Park in Garden River To start with Nation, they have accomplished some wonderful do the job on the beachfront, the cabins, the park alone, as very well as the trails. They have a lovely medication trail so we experienced the prospect on Oct 1st to convey a very significant crew by means of so they could convey to their story back again from the 1950s when they started off their park right via to the prospects they have today. This 1 precise picture will be coming out as a Spot Ontario promoting marketing.”
The Business Growth Panel presentation also highlighted Kathy Mair, chief commissioner of the Six Nations Cannabis Commission, who spoke about the 6 Nations Cannabis Handle Law and Regulations, and Barry Payne, founder of Adirondack Systems Home furnishings Inc., who spoke about assisting Indigenous businesses and communities on bidding on federal contracts and the procurement course of action.