adam + kev march 2015 BCBusiness 65
contract manager for the B.C. Associa-
tion of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
and member of Saskatchewan's Onion
Lake Cree Nation. A first-year student,
Tyler, 40, says he's already been able to
apply his education on the job and has
been impressed with a learning environ-
ment that is "culturally safe, culturally
aware and competent."
And while he believes the degree will
help him with personal goals at work,
Tyler adds that at a time when more
corporations are realizing they need to
include aboriginal engagement in their
business models, it's imperative that
aboriginal leaders are equipped with
the skills to be equal partners in those
delicate discussions.
Classmate Joy Cramer, deputy minis-
ter of family services for the Province of
Manitoba (and the child of two residen-
tial school survivors), agrees. "What's
interesting is the corporate side, the
business side, is catching on faster that
there needs to be a relationship with
the indigenous community in Canada,"
she says. "The rest of society is falling
behind—they're not realizing it."
That's not news to Selman, who took
more than a decade to convince his fac-
ulty the program was necessary and
feasible, and to finally put the pieces
in place. That meant creating original
courses as well as assembling a team
of six faculty, administrators and advi-
sors who had the right combination of
personal and professional experience
to meet the program's unique require-
ments. Notable members include consul-
tant and mediator Michelle Corfield as
executive in residence, as well as senior
Deloitte aboriginal advisor Wendy Grant-
John and mining and energy consultant
Mark Podlasky on the advisory board.
There are still many challenges, like
a dearth of Canadian academic studies
on business relations with First Nations
and few pedagogical precedents (only a
handful of similar programs exist in the
world, largely in Australia and New Zea-
land). Support from the corporate world
has also been slow to arrive.
"It's a complicated situation, to go out
on a limb like we did," says Selman. But
as more businesses realize success hinges
on having healthy relationships with
Canada's First Nations, he may find he's
not out there alone for long.
•
SFU's program still has
many challenges, like a
dearth of Canadian aca-
demic studies on business
relations with First Nations
and few pedagogical
precedents. Support from
the corporate world has
also been slow to arrive
ABORIgINAL ISSUES
A panel at SFU's Beedie
School of Business
discusses the William
(Tsilhqot'in) decision.
