SCO Honours First Nation Entrepreneurs Driving Economic Reconciliation During Small Business Week

Press Release

October 20, 2025

“From food to fashion, the small business owners in our Nations are foundational as we move towards true economic reconciliation.” – Grand Chief Daniels

ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is proud to celebrate National Small Business Week by recognizing the role First Nation entrepreneurs play in driving economic reconciliation, rebuilding First Nation’s identity, and asserting sovereignty through business ownership.

“Business development holds the key as we emerge from more than 150 years of systemic economic apartheid,” said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “When our small businesses thrive, we all prosper.
I encourage everyone to identify and support the entrepreneurs from our Nations as we all pull together to create financial resurgence for our Nations.”

“This week is not only a time to celebrate entrepreneurship,” added Grand Chief Daniels. “It’s also an opportunity to acknowledge the broader movement toward economic justice for First Nations. Our people continue to overcome historic and ongoing economic exclusion. When we support Indigenous businesses, we take real steps in dismantling colonial systems and advancing true economic reconciliation.”

An annual celebration of entrepreneurship, National Small Business Week has a primary goal of learning about and celebrating the people building businesses. Once again, SCO will cast the spotlight on our very own business owners. Many of them can be found on the Southern First Nation Business Directory section of our website.

“As an entrepreneur myself, I know first-hand how much effort and fortitude it takes to start a business,” said Sagkeeng Anicinabe First Nation Chief E.J. Fontaine. “I am pleased to join SCO in giving our small businesses the attention and acknowledgement they so richly deserve.”

During the week, SCO will highlight several of our entrepreneurs on our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn pages. The goal is to celebrate their successes, motivate aspiring entrepreneurs and help them launch successful businesses that contribute to sustainable economic development in our communities and urban centres.

As part of this celebration and ongoing commitment to economic reconciliation, SCO is joining Southern Chiefs Economic Development in hosting a Binasi – An Economic Reconciliation Forum at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on October 28 and 29, 2025. The event will bring together leaders and economic development representatives from our 32 member Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations along with Indigenous and non-Indigenous business leaders from across Canada.

The forum will also feature leading professionals and businesses who will convey their experiences and perspectives on what economic reconciliation is—and what it could be.

“National Small Business Week provides us with a great opportunity to highlight the courage, creativity, and perseverance of our entrepreneurs,” added Grand Chief Daniels. “I often talk about identifying pathways to lasting economic and social reconciliation, and I truly believe it begins with uplifting our citizens who are creating jobs and wealth in our Nations. Together, we are charting a path toward a vibrant, self-sustaining future for our Nations.”

SCO encourages everyone to visit the Southern First Nation Business Directory on our website to discover and support First Nation-owned businesses. We also invite the public to celebrate First Nations entrepreneurs by tagging SCO in their social media posts during Small Business Week.

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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 32 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.

For media inquiries:

Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca

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