Business excellence recognized

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It was a celebration both of Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal business success at the Capitole de Quebec Nov. 17, as the fifth annual Mishtapew Awards of Excellence were handed out.

Fourteen businesses were recognized at the gala, organized each year by the First People's Business Association (FPBA) to recognize the accomplishments of Aboriginal entrepreneurs, to help promote their products and services, and to promote partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal businesses.

The theme of this year's gala was The Sacred Fire, representing the "warmth, fervor and strength" behind the growth of Aboriginal entrepreneurship.

Elder William Commanda began the gala with a purification ceremony, after which Wellie Picard, great chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation, the host nation for the event, welcomed the assembled guests.

Words of welcome were also spoken by FPBA president Paul-Emile Fontaine, and gala chairpersons Michele Audette, president of Quebec Native Women Inc., and Roland Arpin, president and executive director of the Societe du 400e anniversaire de Quebec. Outgoing FPBA president Johanne Robertson also had a chance to say her goodbyes.

Native Benefits Plan took home the biggest honor of the evening, being named Aboriginal Business of the Year. The company was created in 1979 as a pension plan for the Attikamek Montagnais Council, and has since expanded to serve other Native communities across the province, offering pension plans, group insurance, general insurance and residential and automobile insurance through partnerships with insurance companies and brokers.

The Natural Resources Award was presented to Conseil Malecite de Viger (Fishery), a fishery founded in 2000 by the Malecites of Viger. The fishery operates two commercial shrimp boats and one crab boat, and works to encourage more members of the community to get involved in the fishing sector. Last year, the fishery also supplied the people of the community with a significant amount of seafood.

Nuvumiut Developments received the Partnership Award. The company, founded in 1996, is owned by the Inuit communities of Salluit and Kangirsujuaq and works to ensure the two communities are involved in and benefit from mining developments in their area. To date, the company has developed partnerships with two companies, allowing them to get involved in open pit mining and drilling at the Raglan Mine in Quebec's far north. Nuvumiut Developments is also involved in hiring at the mine, and is hoping to develop partnerships that will allow it to get involved in other areas of the mine operations.

The Local Support to Entrepreneurship Award went to Paskwayak Business Development Corporation (PBDC), operated by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation of Manitoba. The PBDC was formed in 1987 to promote economic development for Opaskwayak, and to develop business partnerships. Since then, the corporation has managed a commercial holding for the nation, and planned commercial development and investment projects, including a major casino construction project on Opaskwayak land.

Terres En Vues/Land InSights received the Mishtapew Award for Involvement in the French-Speaking Community. The award was given in recognition of the organization's work with French-speaking people throughout the world. The relationship was most evident last year, when Land InSights organized commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the signing of the treaty of the Great Peace of Montreal. The cultural organization, however, is best know for its annual Montreal First Peoples Festival, which it holds in June.

The International Profile Award was given to Kivalliq Arctic Foods of Nunavut. The company, which produces and sells food products made from caribou and arctic fish, started up in 1992 with four Inuit workers. It now employs 15 full-time staff and, after receiving federal certification in 2001, is ready to begin exporting its products. The company has already signed contracts with distribuors in the U.S. and Europe.

Secteur Tourilli was recipient of this year's Tourism Award. Located on the Laurentides Wildlife Sanctuary just north of Quebec City and bordering on Jacques Cartier Park, the business has been operating since 1987, offering outdoor activities, accommodations and cultural activities while at the same time maintaining a respect for the environment. During the winter, Tourilli is a snowmobile stop over, providing visitors with accommodation, meals, a service station, snow-shoeing and ice fishing. Secteur Tourilli covers almost 400 square km, which includes 54 fishing lakes and five zones reserved for moose hunting. Forestry operations in the area are designed to be environment friendly, to encourage rapid reforestation, and improve the habitat for area wildlife.

The Culture Award was given out to La Maison des Cultures Amerindiennes, based in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. Built on the site of an old sugar bush, the centre is dedicated to promoting and preserving Aboriginal culture. The centre provides artists with permanent exhibition space to display their works, and offers guided tours, day camps, conferences, storytelling, and special events to its visitors.

The Communications Award at this year's gala went to K8E K8E, Les Productions Artistiques et Culturelles Inc, based in Wendake, Que. The company does film and television production, and designs and produces Web sites, multi-media tools, DVDs and CD-ROMs. Among the projects undertaken by the company has been Parole de Guerison, a documentary series on Aboriginal boarding school survivors, Attache ta tuque, a full-length fiction production, and a documentary on the evolution of the Wendat culture over the last two decades. Currently, the company is working on a series of 13 one-hour programs to teach French-speaking children the Innu culture and language so they can better understand traditional legends.

Groupe de Tambour des Femmes de Wendake, a group of five women with an interest i traditional Huron-Wendat songs, received the Business Creation Award. The group has revived old customs, and share the culture of their ancestors through their performances, which include purification, teaching, prayer and dance.

Avataq Inc. received the Mishtapew Award in the Agri-food category. The company employs Inuit workers to harvest medicinal plants that grow in the tundra of Nunavik, then dries the plants and ships them to Montreal for processing and packaging. Avataq Inc. was founded in 2000 by the Avataq Cultural Institute, with all profits from the company going to the institute to fund its work promoting Inuit language and culture, as well as to fund various social programs.

The Trade and Service Award was handed out to Groupe ADL, which has been operating in the Mashteuiatsh community of Lac-Sainte Jean since 1995. The company began in the construction sector, then expanded to include a mechanical service centre, and later a campground. In 1993, The company formed ADL Tobacco. The company is recognized for its contributions to regional economic development, providing training and creating jobs for the community.

Construction en Bois Rond Amishk Inc. based in Bellefeuille, Que., received the Involvement in the Aboriginal Community Award, the only award of the night to go to a non-Aboriginal business. The business has been operating since 1993, constructing log buildings using Scandinavian building methods, and conducts training sessions on the building techniques. In 2000, the owner of the company was asked to train a group of Innu from Sept-Iles. Based on the success of those training sessions, the company started a construction business in Maliotenam, hiring graduates from his programs, the majority being Aboriginal youth.

The Labour Development Award went to Innu Construction, based in Sept-Iles, Que. The company, which handles a variety of projects, from technical maintenance at the Sainte-Marguerite III Hydro-electric project to snow removal or Montagnais communities, provides jobs for 140 Aboriginal workers year-round in 2001.