How Indigevisor advances Reconciliation through Indigenous-led business development
What does Truth and Reconciliation look like for business in Canada? For many organizations, it begins with questions: Where do we start? How do we do this the right way? Indigevisor, an Indigenous women-owned and led national advisory firm, is helping businesses across the country find meaningful ways to build relationships and take steps toward Reconciliation. With a growing team and a values-driven approach, Indigevisor is reshaping how Reconciliation can take root.
When Nadine Bernard launched Indigevisor in 2019, it was a one-woman operation. Early success with a few major projects helped the business take shape, and by 2022, Indigevisor had incorporated and made its first hire. The team has since grown to nine, with offices in Dartmouth, Sydney, and We’koqma’q First Nation. Their work has also extended beyond Nova Scotia to clients in Ontario, B.C., and Alberta.
Education and action
Indigevisor’s first key service area is cultural education for businesses. “This responds to the TRC’s Call to Action 92 and focuses on business Reconciliation,” says Bernard. “It’s about helping educate our non-Indigenous partners about the darker histories of Indigenous peoples—residential schools, colonialism, intergenerational trauma—and how that translates into some of the complexities of Indigenous life today.”
The goal is to equip businesses with understanding before they begin engagement. “It’s not a yesterday thing—it’s a today and tomorrow thing,” says Bernard. “You have to understand before you start talking business. If you’re not informed, there will always be disconnects.”
To support this learning, Indigevisor offers blanket exercises, lunch-and-learns, and half-day education packages.
Another major growth area for Indigevisor is in Indigenous procurement. Following the 2021 federal mandate requiring a minimum 5% spend on Indigenous businesses, demand has surged. “We develop and execute participation and benefit plans that help our clients meet and often exceed that target,” says Bernard. “We’ve refined our approach over the years to make sure Indigenous procurement is measurable and successful.”
Reconciliation and relationships
Another core service at Indigevisor is providing Preliminary Assessments. “We conduct interviews over a few days with senior management and apply an Indigenous lens to everything—policies, workplace culture, leadership, even physical surroundings,” Bernard explains.
This work culminates in a recommendations report and often in longer-term collaboration. “Once we’ve developed a relationship with a company, we can support execution too,” says Bernard. “We’ve got a clear picture of the business by then. We can say, ‘This is where it fits in your strategic plan,’ and start making the changes needed.”
The results and relationships from work are what drives Bernard. “That’s Reconciliation. That’s normalizing Indigenization,” she says. “That’s what gets me really excited—when Reconciliation becomes incorporated into everyday practice and environment.”
For Bernard herself, Reconciliation starts with reflection. “Meaningful Reconciliation means unlearning to relearn,” she says. “Canadian history has distorted what really happened to Indigenous people and has ignored the intentional acts to rid the ‘Indian problem.’ Despite that, we’re still extending the olive branch. We still want peace and friendship, and to cohabit here together.”
Sustainability and growth
At Indigevisor, sustainability is about equity. “Sustainability to me translates into economic Reconciliation,” says Bernard. “It’s about creating economic opportunities for Indigenous communities, Indigenous businesses, and Indigenous people to participate in the economic business environment.”
Looking ahead, Indigevisor is focused on internal systems, visibility, and expansion. “We’re building strong momentum in the Atlantic region, and we’re getting more visibility in central Canada,” says Bernard. “My goal is to eventually have three regional collectives of Indigenous advisors in Atlantic, Central, and Western Canada.”
Six years in, Bernard says the growth of her business has taught her a lot about relationship-building. “Being kind is important in this work, but being carefully kind is just as important,” she says. “I’ve learned some hard lessons about relationships, internally and externally, from being too naïve or moving too fast.”
Hard lessons aside, Indigevisor is rooted in relationships. “That’s what sustains this work over the long term,” says Bernard. “Whether it’s a national project or a local engagement, we’re here to build something meaningful, together.”
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