Case Studies in Aboriginal Business

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1 Case Studies in Aboriginal Business Innu Development Limited Partnership and the Mushuau and Sheshatshiu First Nations Erin Bragg

The Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies was established at Cape Breton University in 2010 in response to Aboriginal community leaders expression of the need for entrepreneurship,

2 The Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies was established at Cape Breton University in 2010 in response to Aboriginal community leaders expression of the need for entrepreneurship, business investment, and corporate skills training for the purpose of creating a model of self-reliance. Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies Shannon School of Business Cape Breton University 1250 Grand Lake Rd, Box 5300 Sydney, NS B1P 6L Named in honour of Canadian lawyer and corporate boardroom leader, the late Mr. Purdy Crawford, the Chair aims to promote interest among Canada s Aboriginal people in the study of business at the post-secondary level. The Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies focuses its work in four areas: Research on what drives success in Aboriginal Business National student recruitment in the area of post-secondary Aboriginal business education Enhancement of the post-secondary Aboriginal business curriculum Mentorship at high school and post-secondary levels Meaningful self-government and economic self-sufficiency provide the cornerstone of sustainable communities. My wish is to enhance First Nations post-secondary education and research to allow for the promotion and development of national Aboriginal business practices and enterprises. Purdy Crawford, C. C. ( )

3 INNU DEVELOPMENT LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AND THE MUSHUAU AND SHESHATSHIU FIRST NATIONS The Innu Development Limited Partnership is a for-profit organization that seeks to improve the economic development of the Innu communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Jointly owned and operated by Mushuau Innu First Nation and Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, the company deals in everything from engineering and construction, to catering and accommodation. Having received widespread recognition for their commitment to maintaining Innu traditions and sponsoring local activities and initiatives, the Innu Development LP is exemplary of the impact Indigenous entrepreneurship can have on surrounding Indigenous communities. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF INNU DEVELOPMENT LP The Innu Development Limited Partnership (IDLP) is the result of the combined efforts of Mushuau Innu First Nation and Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation. Established in 1988 as Innu Economic Development (IED) Enterprises, IDLP is a for-profit corporation registered in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The company has its office in the community of Sheshatshiu, located in central Labrador. As of early 2015, the company is led by joint CEOs Greg Pone and Luke Rich, along with corporate secretary Wayne Kelsie, CFO Raakhee Yadav, senior business manager Fred Hall, and other business managers Melissa Adams and Elena Andrew. Created to satisfy a need for Innu economic activity for both of these Labrador Innu communities, the IDLP s purpose is to identify joint economic development opportunities for the region s Indigenous communities and establish, operate, and manage economic development initiatives in the interests of these communities, both in Labrador and throughout Canada. The IDLP focuses on a variety of industries, including construction, engineering, catering, fishery, and aviation, with a host of strong, efficient partnerships. The company has aligned with businesses such as Innu- Shaw Accommodations LP, Innu Mikun, Innu Kiewit Constructors, IDLP Properties LP, Ueushuk Fisheries Ltd., Innu Municipal LP, Innu Rail LP, Innu/SNC-Lavalin Partnership Innovations LP, Labrador Catering LP, and Katsheshuk Fisheries LP (Innu Development LP, n.d.). HISTORY OF INNU NATION Innu Nation represents approximately 2,200 individuals, many of whom reside in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish in Labrador. Sheshatshiu reserve is home to the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, while Natuashish reserve is home to the Mushuau Innu Innu Development Limited Partnership by Erin Bragg 1

4 First Nation. Both communities speak the Innu-aimun (or Montagnais) language, which is spoken by various Innu groups throughout eastern Canada. In 1976, the Naskapi Montagnais Innu Association (NMIA) was established in order to protect the lands and rights of Labrador s Innu population. The NMIA would become the Innu Nation in 1990, serving as the Labrador Innu government and overseeing the band s political and business affairs. Working alongside the elected Sheshatshiu and Mushuau band councils, Innu Nation is led by an elected president and board of directors whose goal is to safeguard the interests of its people, in addition to delivering essential social services, such as health care and education. In 2006, the Labrador Innu were formally recognized under the Indian Act of Canada. In recent years, Innu Nation has voiced its concerns about the social, political, and environmental impacts of the widespread industrial development taking place in the region and has protested the construction of the trans-labrador highway, the expansion of the Voisey s Bay nickel mine, and the growth of the Lower Churchill Falls hydroelectric project. As a result of these efforts, the federal government has taken steps to better include Innu Nation in the creation of local business ventures. In fact, both the federal government and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro are currently taking part in negotiations which could grant Innu Nation a partial ownership of the Lower Churchill Falls project. Likewise, the Canadian mining corporation Inco Ltd. has agreed to pay Innu Nation royalties for the Voisey s Bay mining site, which amounted to $4 million as of 2007 (Innu Nation, 2008). IDLP PARTNERSHIPS AND JOINT VENTURES The IDLP is comprised of multiple companies, each representing a partnership between IDLP and an external business. Innu Shaw Accommodations LP (ISALP) is a relatively new partnership between IDLP and the long-established Shaw Group of Companies. ISALP provides a variety of accommodation services, including housing manufacturing, work camps, land developments, and other industrial endeavours. Innu Mikun is comprised of Innu Airlines LP, Innu Mikun Fuels, and Innu Mikun Helicopter Services. Innu Airlines is a partnership between IDLP and Provincial Airlines, with services beginning in Labrador in The airline offers cargo services and scheduled air transportation between Goose Bay, Makkovik, Natuashish, Nain, Postville, Rigolet, and Hopedale. Innu Mikun Fuels was formed in conjunction with the IDLP s Inuit partners, the Labrador Inuit Capital Strategy Trust and the Nunatsiavut government. The company operates under a short-term contract, providing diesel fuel to Voisey s Bay mining site, with new contracts in place to deliver fuel supply projects to the Labrador West region. Innu Mikun Helicopter Services is a partnership between 2 Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies

5 IDLP and Canadian Helicopters, Universal Helicopters, and the Nunatsiavut government, offering helicopter services to Voisey s Bay nickel mine and other IDLP projects in Labrador. In June 2017, Innu Mikun airlines combined with Air Labrador, an Inuit-owned airline, to create Air Borealis (Breen, 2017). Innu Kiewit Constructors (IKC) resulted from the combined efforts of IDLP and Kiewit Infrastructure Group. The company provides various construction services, such as power generation, mining, and industrial expertise, to projects in Labrador and the surrounding area. IKC has had particular success at the Voisey s Bay mining site. IDLP Properties LP manages two office buildings in Goose Bay and Innu Nation offices in Natuashish and Sheshatshiu. Tenants of the buildings include Indigenous and Northern Affairs of Canada, Health Canada, Innu Business Development Centre, Innu Nation, Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation Finance, Labrador Catering, Labrador Iron Mines, and Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education. Ueushuk Fisheries Ltd. is 100% Innu owned, fishing Greenland halibut off the coast of Nunavut and Atlantic cod in waters between southern Newfoundland and St. Pierre and Miquelon. The company s goal is to harvest over 500 tonnes of Greenland halibut annually, with international markets for the product in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the United States. Established in 2009, Innu Municipal LP is a partnership between IDLP and Municipal Enterprises Ltd. The company offers multiple different services, such as civil construction work, rock crushing, infrastructure development, and site development for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Innu Rail LP (IRLP) began in 2009 as a partnership between IDLP and Rail Cantech, which offers railway services like construction, management, and operation. The company recently constructed a 32km railway stretching from Wabush, Labrador to the Quebec Border near the Bloom Lake iron ore site. IRLP has also worked at Labrador Iron Mines to build a 4.4km spur line from the iron ore deposits to the Tshuetin Railway line. Innu/SNC-Lavalin Partnership was formed in 2008 between IDLP and SNC-Lavalin Inc. The company pursues engineering and project management opportunities for developments occurring on Innu lands and other parts of Labrador. Maintaining an office in Goose Bay, this partnership also jointly takes part in other business ventures, such as procurement, construction management services, power transmission, environmental services, and architectural design. A joint venture between IDLP and Xwave, Innuvations LP develops information and communication technology for projects taking place in the Labrador region. An important link between the Innu and the private sector, Innuvations helps to foster Innu Development Limited Partnership by Erin Bragg 3

6 alliances that strengthen the IDLP s ability to continue to benefit the Labrador Innu economy. Labrador Catering LP is a partnership between IDLP and East Coast Catering. The company provides catering and housekeeping services to remote work camps and marine holdings, including Voisey s Bay Mine Camp and Concentrator, Labrador Iron Mines Camp, and Labrador Lodge Camp. Katsheshuk Fisheries LP has been jointly owned by IDLP and Ocean Choice International since With offices located in St. John s, the company provides hands-on training for Innu fishers in the offshore fishery and has expanded its initial 510 tonne Northern shrimp harvest to more 2,800 tonnes over the course of a decade (Innu Development LP, n.d.). AWARDS AND RECOGNITION The IDLP has received numerous awards and nominations throughout its three decades of operation. At the 2005 and 2007 Atlantic Canada Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Awards, the IDLP received the Band Enterprise of the Year Award, as well as a nomination for the Central Labrador Excellence Award in Service in In addition, Innu Mikun Airlines received the Sponsor of the Year Award at the Goose Bay Community Awards in 2009 and was nominated for the Central Labrador Excellence Award in Service in 2011 (Innu Development LP, n.d.). COMMUNITY IMPACT The IDLP seeks to promote the rights and interests of Mushuau Innu and Sheshatshiu Innu groups in business development, in addition to designing and carrying out these developments in such a way as to minimize conflict with Innu traditions. The company supports programs and initiatives within nearby Innu communities, such as hockey and softball teams, cultural awareness fairs, community festivals, and trade programs, while also raising numbers of skilled and employed Innu individuals residing in the Labrador communities of Natuashish and Sheshatshiu. Indeed, the company offers training programs for young people, providing future generations with a diverse array of opportunities for long-term employment, while also supporting initiatives that ensure the maintenance of Innu culture within the greater society. As such, the IDLP has helped to ensure that Innu residents of Newfoundland and Labrador will not only preserve their traditional way of life, but also achieve economic sustainability and independence (Innu Development LP, n.d.). 4 Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies

7 SOURCES Breen, Katie. (2017). Innu, Inuit join forces to create new airline for Labrador. CBC News. Retrieved from Innu Development Limited Partnership. (n.d.). Retrieved from Innu Nation. (2008). Retrieved from Innu Development Limited Partnership by Erin Bragg 5

While respecting Innu rights, territory and culture, IDLP represents the economic interests of Mushuau and Sheshatshiu Innu communities by:

While respecting Innu rights, territory and culture, IDLP represents the economic interests of Mushuau and Sheshatshiu Innu communities by: Creating opportunities for employment and Innu private businesses;