Community Success

Boozhoo Aaniin,

My name is Kayla Lariviere and I am a Metis woman whose family comes from Camperville, Manitoba. I graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts double major in Criminology and Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba. That same year, I continued my studies at Robson Hall, Faculty of Law. 

Throughout my studies, I found myself taking courses such as Canadian Law and Aboriginal Peoples, Constitutional Law, and Aboriginal Community Development. I became passionate about Aboriginal rights which led to me to work with Dr. Jeremy Patzer (Department of Sociology and Criminology) through an Undergraduate Research Award. This experience furthered my knowledge on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. I knew after university I wanted to use my knowledge and skills to work with Indigenous communities and peoples.

Today I am proud to be in a position where I am able to work with Indigenous communities in my role as a Development Consultant for the Government of Manitoba. Under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, the Province of Manitoba has a legal duty to consult in a meaningful way with First Nations, Métis, and Indigenous communities when any proposed provincial law, regulation, decision or action may infringe upon or adversely affect the exercise of a treaty or Aboriginal right of a specific community. As a Development Consultant, my work involves consulting with Indigenous peoples on proposed projects by visiting their communities and inviting them to Winnipeg, with an objective to attempt in good faith, to listen and understand the concerns of Indigenous communities who assert their rights. For me, it is important to also create and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities through the consultation process to foster reconciliation. I am then able to make an informed recommendation to the Government of Manitoba on how to proceed. 

Advice I would give to Indigenous post-secondary students is to find your passion and get involved! Throughout my time in university, I immersed myself in the Indigenous community by being involved with the University of Manitoba Indigenous Students Association as the Chair of Governance, was a speaker at the National Centre for the Truth and Reconciliation, a member of the Indigenous Circle of Empowerment, and became a research assistant for both the Prairie Indigenous Knowledge Exchange Network and Centre for Human Rights Research. I encourage you to make use all of the opportunities provided to you to find and explore your passions!

Community Success

Tansi, Boozhoo aaniin, Nindinawemaaganidog, all my relations, 

Noah Wilson ndizhiniikaaz. My name is Noah Wilson and I identify as a Cree man with French/Ukrainian heritage on my mother’s side of the family. I am a proud community member of Peguis First Nation which is the largest Treaty 1(1871) community located in the province of Manitoba. As a son of an RCMP officer and living in several cities and communities throughout my youth, I was able to see a diverse cross-section of Canadian society that highlighted the stark discrepancies in the standard of living between First Nations peoples and the rest of Canada. These experiences fostered my passion to someday become a trusted adviser for the resurgence of self-determining Indigenous economies, thriving Indigenous communities, and a hopeful Indigenous people. 

In 2019, I graduated with distinction from the University of Manitoba with an Advanced-Bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Governance and a Minor in Management which only continued to grow my passion for Indigenous business, Indigenous economics, and Indigenous self-governance. Through-out my University career, I became highly involved in the Indigenous Student Leadership community at the University of Manitoba by running to become the Co-president of the University of Manitoba Indigenous Students Association (UMISA) and the Indigenous Students Rep for the University of Manitoba Students Union (UMSU). By becoming involved in my local Indigenous community, I started to understand the true meaning behind the principle of Nindinawemaaganidog, “all my relations”. Whether it be my personal relationships, spiritual relationships, or my relationship to the environment around me…I started to realize that my own personal success was directly tied to the amount of time, spirit, and positive energy that I put into promoting the success of all the relations that I found around me.  

By working for my community, I was able to develop an extensive network of relationships that provided opportunities that I never dreamed of when I entered University. One of these opportunities allowed me to land my first professional job at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) where I began to build my financial and business literacy skills over the next 5 years with the goal of eventually being able to share my teachings back with the Indigenous communities that I became so passionate about. As a devoted advocate for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action in Canada, I got involved with the Royal Eagles Employee Resource Group at RBC and started to build a strong personal brand at RBC by helping find ways to implement the TRC Calls to Action within my immediate spheres of influence in the financial industry. 

Ultimately, by embedding my passion for Indigenous communities into my personal mission, I was able to land my dream job as a Business Development Manager for Indigenous Young Entrepreneurs at Futurpreneur Canada. Now I am in a role that allows me to use my educational and professional background to help support the many Indigenous Young Entrepreneurs across Manitoba and Saskatchewan who are just waiting for an opportunity to bring their great business ideas to life for the resurgence of self-determining Indigenous Economies.

Community Success