This month we have a lot of updates on the progress of our Niriqatiginnga food security and creative arts entrepreneurship programs. 

We’ve made significant headway this summer in establishing partnerships with researchers, artists, local businesses and non-profit organizations. We have received letters of support for Niriqatiginnga from post-secondary institutions including the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth; and the Creative Entrepreneurship department at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. 

Dr. Kuhlke and Dr. Zhang are exploring avenues to apply for US National Science Foundation funding for some of the proposed international research.

These institutions are actively supporting the co-design and development of curriculum, pedagogy, and research capacity building activities. We’re thankful for their support and their expertise and involvement are proving invaluable as we work towards our main goal of creating a “hub” for food security and creative/cultural entrepreneurship.

Our September 2023 update can be found here.

Towards a Mentorship Training Programme (MTP):

Preparations for our Niriqatiginnga food insecurity research components continue to evolve take shape. Facilitating opportunities for mentorships, apprenticeships and internships are a major focus as we plan for the next two years.

Niriqatiginnga is being designed as a ‘social programming component’ that will align with and complement the Nutrition North Canada Program. This work continues to evolve with each meeting. We believe a fusion of CSR and social responsibility in higher education holds immense promise in addressing food insecurity. This month, we will be focusing some of our planning conversations on its integration with community-based participatory research training, compliance reporting activities and other related activities. 

Establishing the conditions to support and sustain a Mentor Training Programme (MTP) remains a cornerstone of our initiative. One of our big ideas for this year is to figure out how we can support a participatory research project similar to a form of “pre-MTP” program. We hope to be able to see participants engage in online and face-to-face learning activities that would support building the conditions to initiate launching a formal K4C Hub.

In our consultations we’ve learned some universities are also facing similar challenges in building capacity for establishing hub-related activities as we are. The concept of “institutional ownership” is under close scrutiny, especially in cases where communities or programs lack certain resources. Hubs need to be financially viable, and we are planning to host a few group discussions to explore what some of this work could look like if we structured Niriqatiginnga as a Corporate Social Responsibility program, administered as a health program.

We’re want to explore innovative approaches to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness. We also want to actively investigate the feasibility of integrating social programming components as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. This aligns with our commitment to social responsibility in higher education.

Consultations and Meetings:

Our consultations and meetings over the summer months have been instrumental in shaping our project and its directions. September saw interviews and consultations for project conducted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and KPMG about the Nutrition North Canada Program, specifically on direct and/or personal order processes.

Also last month, we had a visit from Minister Vandal, and researchers from the InfraNorth project. We thank them for their valuable input, which has also guided our efforts. 

Weekly meetings with the @1860 Winnipeg Arts group and their Fall-Winter arts program have resumed. These weekly sessions include mentorship from established artists, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations and are already contributing to a well-rounded and structured program.

There were many good conversations and great ideas coming from our participation in the 2024 Kivalliq Trade Show in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Thanks to the organizing committee and the Arctic Buying Company Kivalliq for supporting activities with this year’s trade show. 

Upcoming Engagements:

In October we plan to consult and engage with the University of Victoria Community Based Research Lab (CBRL) and the UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. We are exploring options for a “pre-MTP” Mentorship Training Program, which we hope will also include consultation and engagement.

Global Dignity Week events are being scheduled for October 18, 2023. This will see artists, students and schools across Canada participating in a special national event. We will be joining a Winnipeg event hosted by @1860 Winnipeg Arts. 

The Niriqatiginnga project team will be part of a special event with the Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth on November 22. This evening, led by Dr. Wenginq Zhang, will feature an evening of cross-border conversations, consultation and engagement which will include graduate students studying decision making in supply chain operations. 

Looking further ahead in 2024, discussions are being held to start preparing for Canada’s third National Kindness Week, which will be held from 11-18 February. This is one of our biggest and busiest weeks of the year. We are already planning our third annual national press conference along with a series of local and national (virtual) events. 

The events calendar is coordinated by @1860 Winnipeg Arts program and can be found here: https://artsincubator.ca/events

Cancellations:

• The special panel session on Indigenous Perspectives on Arctic Entrepreneurship for Arctic Circle Assembly 2023 originally scheduled for October 19, 2023 in Reykjavik, Iceland has unfortunately been canceled.
• Research workshops for Niriqatiginnga that were originally planned for Churchill, Manitoba and to coincide with the Manitoba Envirothon in May 2024 have unfortunately been canceled. We hope to see the Manitoba Envirothon hosted in Churchill in 2025 and to be able to be part of this large regional event. 

Upcoming Deadlines: 

There are a few funding deadlines in October:

• The Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 Program deadline is October 25.
• The Manitoba Agriculture Indigenous Agriculture and Relationship Development program is accepting applications until Oct. 27, 2023. 
• The UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund is accepting applications until October 27, 2023.

The UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund call is open to any individual with an incubator-stage product or service that aims to benefit the Arctic environment or Arctic communities and has a positive, demonstrable impact on the Arctic. Applications are especially encouraged from Arctic Indigenous and northern-based entrepreneurs.

Thank you to our partners and supporters:

We thank everyone from the Arctic Buying Company, Chocolatier Constance Popp, the University of Minnesota Duluth, @1860 Winnipeg Arts and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for their support in making our project possible. Together, these organizations have contributed significantly to the success and impact of our efforts, and we are deeply grateful for their collaboration and commitment to our shared goals.