Last night, I received the Indigenous Business of the year Award. Thank you to everyone for all of the support especially my parents, family and friends, Nacho Nyak Dun Development Corporation, Yukon First Nations Chamber of Commerce and Yukon First Nations Cultural & Tourism Association, Yukoners and the North. xo My community is 400 Km north of here on the confluence of the Stewart & Mayo rivers. It is not a traditional village as it was established to serve the mining industry over 100 years ago. My ancestors moved to the region to provide meat & berries, furs and cut wood for the boom that was occurring. And although many of our people continue to work in the mining industry, they also have other ways to provide for the families. I didn't start this business, I bought a well established handcrafted soap business that is now in its 21st year. I wanted to be my own boss, be creative, and support my community. It has allowed me to use my traditional teachings, my love of science and my deep appreciation for the land to create products that make people feel good. I have also found a business where I can incorporate trying to learn my grandmothers language and share my journey with others. But this business is also good for my community and I know many people are proud to have this little business in Mayo. I hope that this can inspire other people in my community to find meaningful work and find a way to be a part of the bigger economic opportunities that indigenous people have in the north. Tonight I would like to dedicate this award to the late Elder Jimmy Lucas. He taught me so much about what it means to be a good Northern Tutchone person, the importance of holding our traditional values close to our heart and how to live in a good way. He said
Last night, I received the Indigenous Business of the year Award. Thank you to everyone for all of the support especially my parents, family and friends, Nacho Nyak Dun Development Corporation, Yukon First Nations Chamber of Commerce and Yukon First Nations Cultural & Tourism Association, Yukoners and the North. xo My community is 400 Km north of here on the confluence of the Stewart & Mayo rivers. It is not a traditional village as it was established to serve the mining industry over 100 years ago. My ancestors moved to the region to provide meat & berries, furs and cut wood for the boom that was occurring. And although many of our people continue to work in the mining industry, they also have other ways to provide for the families. I didn't start this business, I bought a well established handcrafted soap business that is now in its 21st year. I wanted to be my own boss, be creative, and support my community. It has allowed me to use my traditional teachings, my love of science and my deep appreciation for the land to create products that make people feel good. I have also found a business where I can incorporate trying to learn my grandmothers language and share my journey with others. But this business is also good for my community and I know many people are proud to have this little business in Mayo. I hope that this can inspire other people in my community to find meaningful work and find a way to be a part of the bigger economic opportunities that indigenous people have in the north. Tonight I would like to dedicate this award to the late Elder Jimmy Lucas. He taught me so much about what it means to be a good Northern Tutchone person, the importance of holding our traditional values close to our heart and how to live in a good way. He said " I am going to teach you everything I know so that you can lead our people". I hope that with this guidance from Jimmy and everything that this award represents, I can show people that it is possible to bring economic prosperity to our communities by creating businesses that support our culture and strengthen our connection to the land. Mussi cho and Akua. #yukonsoaps #aiic2019