Eleven Kitikmeot residents took part in a week of Inspire Nunavut events in Cambridge Bay, learning entrepreneurial skills to jump start Inuit self-employment at any age.

Initially, the 12-week entrepreneurial and leadership program SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” a partnership between the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA) and Inspire Nunavut since 2001 SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” was only open to youths aged 18-30. However, since 2023, the KIA , which fully funds the program, has opened registration for Inuit up to 60.

This most recent cohort comprised 13 individuals, 11 of whom participated in the Cambridge Bay session.

"KIA actually funded for us to meet in Cambridge Bay for a weeklong of gathering and doing some community events," said Cora Kavyaktok, territory lead and instructor for Inspire Nunavut. "So it was really nice for us to go from a virtual cohort to being in-person. While we were in Cambridge Bay, we had the Kitikmeot drum dance group come in and do a presentation for us... It was really nice for us to be able to reconnect with our culture and learn a little bit and take the drum dancing."

In addition, participants attended instruction sessions with representatives from Kitikmeot Community Futures Incorporated, the Kitikmeot Chamber of Commerce, the KIA, and with the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay economic development officer Angela Gerbrandt.

"Each of those organizations were able to share different insights on what is available for new business start-ups and entrepreneurs within the region and what they would be able to do, how they could leverage their business to the next level SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” so from coming from an idea to an actual viable business. It was really enriching information for them," Kavyaktok added.

"It is an entrepreneurial program that we run and we had participants with different entrepreneurial endeavours: from starting a mechanic shop to a convenience store to Inuit wall hanging."

Participant Susan Pryde, 60, said she was talked into taking the course by Kavyaktok, but had no regrets. 

"I got so much inspiration from the Heritage Centre, and there was a drum dance that was held for us and I got inspiration from that," she said. "I actually backed out at the last second because of not knowing the computer. I thought it was a computer course, actually. And I thought, 'Oh, I don't, I didn't want to do that again.' I tried computers before and I wasn't very good. So I backed out and then Cora [said] 'Just give it one day, just one day and you're going to get paid for the one day and that's it.'"

Pryde, who's originally from Cambridge Bay but now makes Inuit wall-hangings in Regina, was pleasantly surprised with everything she learned and how much she enjoyed the course.

"I'm sad it's over," she said. "It was amazing... I'm starting a Facebook page. My business, it's growing...[I learned] a lot of marketing skills and business management and, oh, I could just go on and on."

"I didn't learn this in high school, but I learned how to do elevator pitches... we had guest speakers on Thursdays and, and they were from all over Canada... There shouldn't be any age bracket. I think anyone should take this program because you just learn so much."

"All of [the participants] have said that it was very interesting and they learned a lot during their week here and they really appreciate it," said Nicole Maksagak, the employment services coordinator at the KIA. "We think that it's a good feeder program for people that are interested in starting their own business. We receive our funding through the Department of Employment and Social Development through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Strategy.

"This year we have 23 programs scheduled for our region, and there is a lot of interest for people that want to start their own business... so this gives them some good background and a bit of direction and helps create the connections to the different funding opportunities," Maksagak continued. "We have seen some of the participants go on to other training programs and that are doing the background work on starting businesses."

Kavyaktok noted that the group consisted of a vast range of people with many different entrepreneurial ideas.

"So I'm excited for the day that I'll be walking down the street and see one of my participant's shops open up and know that that was partly because of our program," she said.