NWT - Maximizing Northern hiring at NWT mines and establishing an up-to-date aboriginal business directory are but some of the initiatives that the newly-come-to-life Northern Aboriginal Business Association (NABA) is looking to take on, says chairman Darrell Beaulieu.

Bob McLeod, minister of industry, tourism and investment, and Darrell Beaulieu, CEO of Denendeh Development Corp., unveil the logo of the Northern Aboriginal Business Association at the Prospects North 2010 conference in Yellowknife last month. - photo courtesy of Kellett Communications

After a number of fits and starts, the first chamber of commerce or association principally aimed at Aboriginal-owned businesses quietly came to life early last year.

But it wasn't until last month's Prospects North 2010 conference, which the association co-organized with the NWT Chamber of Commerce, that NABA officially came on the scene.

The association entered Prospects North with 48 members, but during the course of the three-day conference, another 30 businesses either signed up or expressed interest in joining, said Beaulieu, who is also CEO of Denendeh Development Corporation (DDC).

"Back in probably the early 90s, the Dene Nation had passed a resolution to start an aboriginal business association. I think there also were a couple regions that passed legislation to that effect," said Beaulieu.

"I think there was a little excitement in the beginning, but really, nobody took the bull by the horns, so to speak."

While creating an aboriginal business directory in 2006, DDC discovered the NWT was home to 500 aboriginal businesses.

"Having that in hand, a number of us said, 'Let's get together and see if we can make this a reality,'" said Beaulieu.

An association specifically tailored to the needs of aboriginal businesses was needed because "aboriginal people are not represented adequately in the business world, and a lot of them feel intimidated to join the chambers of commerce," said Charlie Furlong, president of Ehdiitat Gwich'in Council in Aklavik and former owner of a motel in Aklavik.

"I guess it's just the way that aboriginal people are. They don't feel comfortable in that area. They're more comfortable if it's something that they designed themselves."

With its logo selected and its first conference under its belt, NABA's next item of business is launching a fully updated aboriginal business directory on Nov. 27. The directory – unlike similar initiatives – will be revised on an annual basis to make sure it includes only businesses that are still operating, said Beaulieu.

"Marketing is a huge thing in business. If you don't know what's out there, then you're not going to go chase after it," he said.

Maximizing aboriginal employment at the territory's three diamond mines remains an important issue for NABA, but realizing the limitations of the North's workforce means it must think outside the box, said Beaulieu.

"We've got to keep in mind that some of the requirements of the mines (include) technical expertise that we don't have. But what's stopping Northern aboriginal businesses from hiring these people with the expertise and also encouraging them to live in the North?"

At the same time, the association will aim to promote the idea of a made-in-the-NWT technical school of mining offering training for jobs beyond the entry level.

"I've talked to Tom Hoefer at the chamber of mines (about this) over the years," said Beaulieu. "Because the majority of the NWT economy is driven by the mineral industry, why don't we have a school of mines up here, so we can start training the technical side of mining?"

In five years, Furlong hopes that NABA will have spurred "community business centres in each community" to provide people "with some way of meeting periodically and share business ideas with other communities."

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