Executive Summary

This project was successfully completed in June 2024.

As a developmental initiative, and building on Manitoba Agriculture Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership project, activities strengthened collaborative networking efforts between Indigenous youth artists, academic researchers, non-profit organizations, Indigenous-owned businesses, emerging food sector entrepreneurs, community-based and circumpolar research programs.  This project supported relationship development, consultation and engagement activities with the University of the Arctic. It enabled exploring participatory arts-based food security, northern supply chain research and entrepreneurship training and mentorship opportunities. Activities were supported by the University of the Arctic Secretariat and the UArctic Thematic Network on Local-Scale Planning, Climate Change and Resilience, University of Victoria, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Niriqatiginnga is administered with support from the Elmwood Union Arts Collective Youth, Arts and Media Team.  This project's focus included connecting with community-based projects in building relationships between research institutions, academia, Indigenous communities and government. 

The activities are also intended to support the exploration of future research projects and training.   As of April 1, 2024 project activities are complemented with funding from the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Indigenous Intellectual Property Protection Program. The funding was announced by the Hon. François-Philippe Champagne on May 1, 2024. As well, in May 2024 Niriqatiginnga Youth, Arts and Media Team was approved for support from Agriculture Canada and the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Skills Program. Activities initiated on projects T01120 and T01123 continued as part of ISED project IIPP-0071 and AAFC Project YESP2425-5850-PR. 

We thank Agriculture Canada, ISED and the Government of Canada for their continued support and investment for youth agri-food sector opportunities.  In 2023, Niriqatiginnga was rejected for funding and ineligible to apply for many programs, including those offered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Manitoba Agriculture and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Exactly one year later, youth, students, entrepreneurs and academics affiliated with the program are presenting on the regional and international stage as an example of circumpolar collaboration.  

 Now entering its second year, Niriqatiginnga as a pilot will wind down and the organizational development work will begin in earnest with the creation of a new non-profit organization. Relationship development and engagement activities are taking place at local, regional, national and international levels. The students and youth are to be commended for their excellent dedication and numerous contributions to the project's success. 

Background and Objectives

Niriqatiginnga explores traditional knowledge, technology development and data-driven approaches to address northern food insecurity; capacity and skills needed to capture new, emerging market opportunities for Manitoba businesses; and encourages evidence-based policy and process recommendations for more efficient and competitive northern supply chains.  

Activities on Project T01120 and T01123 were co-designed build on and adapt the results of prior and related research piloted and tested by team members such as the 2021 University of Minnesota Duluth-supported Creativity for Entrepreneurship project; the ArcticNet Network Centre of Excellence EDI strategy and Inclusion in Northern Research project (2020-2022) as well as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design-supported Our People Our Climate (2019-2024) projects supported with strategic arts innovation funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 programs (2022-2023).   

This project contributed to advancing economic reconciliation, particularly in the context of Indigenous youth and cross-cultural and international  participation in agriculture and agri-food-related sectoral development, training and research creation. This project has led to the creation of new opportunities for economic empowerment and addressing historical economic disparities through the co-creation of new food sector entrepreneurship and community-based, participatory research opportunities.   On project T01123, youth, students and mentors co-designed a toolkit framework that features five stages of Experiential Design that students have applied in the creation of sample workshops that could be hosted by youth and aspiring entrepreneurs. The team presented the results of their efforts during the 2024 Arctic Congress in Bodø, Norway with support from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the University of Victoria Community Based Research Lab, Live It Earth and the University of the Arctic. 

These activities will inform approaches for future research and capacity building programming.   These activities have led to increased team and organizational capacity. Engagement and Relationship Development activities moving forward will continue to focus on obtaining buy-in and support from other key stakeholders, partner organizations and interested organizations.  As a sectoral capacity building initiative, the project team has, and will continue to engage in discussions, workshops, and guest speaker sessions focused on introducing different career options, exploring industry trends, and professional development opportunities. Youth Media Team members are learning about the concepts of observation in digital communications, marketing and advertising, as well as its role in collecting and analyzing data on audience behavior.      

Methodology and Activities

Mixed-methodological approaches used on this project focused on arts, community-based and participatory  methods. Primary activities saw enhanced relationship development and collaboration between Indigenous artists, climate change and food security researchers and community members who came together to identify priorities, conceptualize solutions, and design action plans for moving forward.  Three undergraduate biosystems and creative entrepreneurship students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Victoria have been designing a toolkit and facilitator's guide for experiential design.  

Project activities saw more than 200 hours of early career exposure and skill development, which saw the engagement of youth in leadership roles. Collectively Minnesota, Manitoba and Nunavut youth, emerging artists and early career researchers donated an additional 153 hours+ of volunteer contributions supporting relationship development and engagement activities which began on Project T01123.   Youth, Arts and Media Team member Tony Eetak has been hired under the Youth Employment Strategy Program component with AAFC to begin in May 2024. Activities will support S-CAP and UArctic supported arts-based food security and climate adaptation research engagement. His contributions to this, and prior projects have been exemplary. Manitoba Agriculture's support for his continued participation, creative and entrepreneurial growth is encouraged with the highest possible recommendation. 

 Collecting distinctions-based data across various socio-economic indicators is a need that has been identified through activities on this project and by partners and organizations we consulted and engaged with. This includes including poverty, food security, employment, education, criminal justice, social support networks, housing, homelessness, physical environments, and early child development, is integral to informing evidence-based actions that promote the safety, security, health, and wellness of Indigenous youth peoples. Also important is the identified need for the co-design and co-development of strength-based, and community-centered approaches that are essential to support healing and that address the lasting effects of trauma and violence. 

Ongoing research is essential for understanding the root causes and factors contributing to food insecurity. There is a significant need for investment in regional and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Conclusion

Other departments and programs should be looking at this relationship development and engagement stream as a model, particularly for regional provincial/territorial and federal collaboration. This project established capacity for knowledge transfer across organizations and regions. Most importantly, it led to a series of cross-cultural connections and collaboration at local, regional, national and international levels. The project saw increased engagement, particularly from youth and students, as well as a notable increase in volunteer participation. 

This project represented a little more than 3 weeks of group team effort spread across six months.   The project introduced the use and adoption of new technologies and processes developed by a pilot digital arts entrepreneurship incubator program building on strategic innovation funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 programs from 2021 to 2023. The project team has very generously donated code and frameworks to help accelerate Niriqatiginnga and the Kivalliq Chamber's capability to communicate and modernize their outdated systems. 

These technology and process enhancements established the foundations for marketplace framework activities ongoing under project T00979. Youth have expressed interest in further developing the program.  The project supported international research collaboration between Manitoba, Nunavut, Northwestern Ontario, Minnesota and Alaska, using Winnipeg as a central, coordinating hub. 

The project's capability and capacity for communications, outreach and engagement continues to grow. We continue to see an increase in regional dialogue and collaboration. Youth replicated their marketplace model for use with the struggling Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce which desperately needed a new web site. In May, Youth, Arts and Media Team members were approved for support from the OpenAI Researcher Access Program.   Moving forward, there will be a continued focus on capacity for baseline data collection processes, capability for measurement and reporting, and the communication of impacts and outcomes. 

Multiple organizations have expressed interest in coming together to collectively focus on organizational capacity building and significantly enhancing regional collaboration. 

Thanks and acknowledgements 

This project was made possible through the dedicated support and encouragement of numerous individuals and organizations. Despite the significant challenges faced during the project, several individuals and groups restored faith in its vision and potential. We extend heartfelt thanks to Kami Norland, Dr. Olaf Kuhlke, David Ly, and early career researchers Anastasia Broman, Connor Johnson, Alvano Serrano, Ellis Anderson, Lesley McGaster, and Ashe Underwood from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Creative Entrepreneurship and Master of Arts in Creative Leadership programs. From the University of Victoria, we acknowledge Maeva Gauthier, and from the University of Alaska Anchorage, we thank Michael Jones, Vanessa Collier, and Genevieve Bostwick. Special appreciation goes to Dr. Wenqing Zhang, PhD from the University of Minnesota Duluth and Nona Schultz Ferris, Mallory Hulme, Robin Young, Meeling Nivet, and Lorie Martel from the Manitoba Food Development Centre. We also thank Wendy Carnegie, Mervin Traverse, Shyam Moorthi, Luis Maya-Desdier, and Chris Navarro from Manitoba Agriculture for their engagement and relationship development, and Dr. Marie-José Naud, PhD from Université Laval. From LembasWorks, we thank Tara Baswani and Remi Lemieux, and from Global Dignity Canada, our gratitude goes to Jamie Bell, Tony Eetak, Odeshkun Thusky, Giovanna Mingarelli, Bruce Lazenby, Chloe Langevin, Angella Goran, David Fodrek, Rob Rosenfeld, Olivia Bechthold, Joel Serino, and Komal Minhas. We extend thanks to Paul and Lucy Eetak and the late John Muryunik Alikut from Arviat, Nunavut. We thank Allana Haist and the Indigenous Intellectual Property Protection Program team from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. We also acknowledge Members of Parliament Dan Vandal, Michael Barrett, Mike Lake, and Emmanuella Lambropoulos. 

Together, this positive display of leadership, encouragement and support exemplified reconciliation in action, demonstrating the true power of collaborative, cross-cultural work rooted in respect and mutual understanding.