Status: Successfully completed in June 2024

Project Location:

• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Duluth, Minnesota
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Victoria, British Columbia
• Borups Corners, Ontario
• Bodø, Norway

Project Impact:

This project strengthened collaborative networks between academic researchers, non-profit organizations, Indigenous-owned businesses, emerging youth, aspiring food sector entrepreneurs, and community-based research projects in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It informed long-term planning to explore the potential for future research investment and new collaborative research between Manitoba and Minnesota.

Community Engagement:

Community engagement began in June 2023 in Winnipeg and continued. Using prior participatory and co-designed approaches, the team consulted and engaged experts and students from university entrepreneurship, economics, and supply chain management programs, HQPs in training, technology entrepreneurs, northern community researchers, MB Agriculture staff, and policy specialists. In-depth meetings, roundtable group discussions, and informal consultation sessions were employed to gather insights and perspectives to maximize planning design and development to ensure goals and outcomes were realistic, achievable, and aligned with Nutrition North Canada social programming components.

Project Description:

Relationship-building activities studied the impact of mentorship programs that paired experienced Nutrition North Canada and Manitoba food sector entrepreneurs with urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth. This focus and resulting insights helped aspiring entrepreneurs gain valuable skills and insights into entrepreneurship and the food sector while working to address issues of northern food insecurity.

The project supported establishing a supportive network, connecting students and participants with mentors and researchers (HQPs in training) in the agriculture and food security sectors, creating enhanced opportunities for knowledge sharing and skill development. Information gathered from these consultation and engagement activities was used to assess the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training programs tailored to the unique needs of Northern Indigenous communities with involvement from Nutrition North Canada suppliers. It aimed to identify areas where regulatory changes or policy support could be enhanced.

It aimed to advance economic reconciliation, particularly in the context of Indigenous youth and community participation in agriculture and agri-food-related sectoral development, training, and research creation. It also involved creating opportunities for economic empowerment and addressing historical economic disparities through the co-creation of food sector entrepreneurship and community-based, participatory research opportunities.

Inclusion Support:

This exciting project prioritized the inclusion and empowerment of northern and newly-urban young adults, Elders, women, academics, and interested community members through targeted relationship building, mentorship, traditional knowledge exchange, and access to resources. The project was co-constructed and co-led with the full inclusion of Indigenous youth, women, and Elders from Winnipeg and Minnesota. The project built on work conducted in 2021 for the ArcticNet Strategy for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and built on training, mentorship, research programming, and peer support networks supported by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Project Outcomes:

• Inclusive Partnerships supporting formal and informal adult education: The project supported building collaborative partnerships between Indigenous community-based research, local organizations, academic researchers, and government agencies needed to create conditions to establish stronger collaborative research and sectoral relationships between Manitoba and Minnesota.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset, Empowerment, and Social Cohesion: As Indigenous individuals and communities actively engaged in agriculture and agri-food research activities, creative entrepreneurship and sectoral development activities, they experienced a sense of empowerment, increased social cohesion, and cultural pride. This outcome fostered a stronger sense of community, self-determination, resilience, and a positive outlook on the future while advancing economic reconciliation.
• Expanded Formal and Informal Educational and Food Sector Training Opportunities: Collaboration with educational institutions and industry partners resulted in the development of tailored training, curriculum, and educational programming offering urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth and community members opportunities to build relevant skills, gain agricultural and sector-related knowledge, and a deeper understanding of Arts-Based, CBR, and other participatory research methodologies.

Project Next Steps:

Next steps for the project included identifying opportunities, lessons learned, best practices, and resources needed to scale up program design and outreach efforts. This work contributed to developing a long-term research plan that outlined how future activities could continue beyond this project’s initial timeframe.

The core purpose of this project focused entirely on building local capacity and preparing for new cross-cultural creative entrepreneurship with aspiring northern food sector entrepreneurs. Outcomes enhanced capability and prepared youth and community to administer elements of the program.

Feedback collected post-engagement was used to measure the project’s impact on the community, including economic, cultural, and social factors. This informed additional skills development and capacity-building programs for participants, especially focusing on food sector entrepreneurship, business development, and leadership skills.

A primary objective was to maintain and expand partnerships with Indigenous-owned, Nutrition North Canada suppliers, Canadian and American academic institutions, and governmental agencies such as Manitoba Agriculture.