We will deepen our understanding of the North’s unique Indigenous cultures
"Our employees will understand the history of Indigenous people in the North, and the impacts of colonialism and residential schools have had. We will celebrate Indigenous culture and amplify it to the North."
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Photo details: This year, we’re honoured to have worked with Kailen Gingell, a Kwanlin Dün First Nation citizen on a powerful orange shirt that shares a truly northern vision for the path forward. Read more
We will meet the future with a deeper understanding of the north’s Indigenous cultures, governance, histories, and traditions.
We learn from those who’ve called this land home for millennia. All Northwestel employees have access to The Path, an Indigenous-created program that educates our employees on the history of Indigenous people in Canada.
Our employees will understand the history of Indigenous people in the North, and the impacts of colonialism and residential schools have had. We will celebrate Indigenous culture and amplify it to the North.
I learned to love producing – creating, directing – because of the autonomy and authenticity I can create in stories. There’s a lot of power that comes from being behind the scenes, creating the projects, and having autonomy over voice. We’re constantly coming up against barriers, but we’re telling authentic, unheard, and unseen perspectives.
Tiffany Ayalik, Operations Manager, Copper Quartz Media
Northwestel Community TV supports film projects across the North to help make ideas reality. We’re proud to have supported over 80 film and television projects in Yukon and NWT since 2014, including Copper Quartz Media’s NorthernHer and Food For The Rest of Us, which is putting the spotlight on the radical act of creating your own food security.
Photo details: Precious Memory, pencil on paper, Veronique Nirlungayak Northwestel Nunavut Directory Art Cover, 2005
Our action plan
Past actions
The Path Indigenous education series: Employees have access to an Indigenous created education series on the history of Indigenous people in Canada.
Celebrating Indigenous culture: Across the North, Northwestel takes part in and sponsors many Indigenous celebrations, festivals, and programs, donating $600,000+.
Inclusive advertising: Public messaging from Northwestel reflects the communities we serve.
Community TV programming: Northwestel regularly funds and features Indigenous creators on Community TV.
2022
Indigenous employee feedback session: Increased perspective on what’s working well and areas of improvement within our company.
2023
Indigenous employee committee created: New pathway for regular feedback allows for continuous internal improvements.
Indigenous speaker series established: Regularly introduce Indigenous perspectives and voices to employees.
2024
Language courses for frontline employees: Technicians and other customer-facing employees learn to speak and serve customers in their language.
2025 Outcomes
- Internal mechanisms developed to improve workplace satisfaction and hear employee voices.
- Northwestel workforce fully understands the history of Indigenous people in Canada including the history and legacy of residential schools, UNDRIP, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.
