Up to a thousand delegates will converge on Saskatoon next week for the seventh annual World Indigenous Business Forum.
The event is two years in the making and officials say it’s projected to generate $3 million in economic spin-off.
It will also be the first time the forum has been in Canada, with delegates coming from as far away as New Zealand for the forum that starts on Aug. 23.
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Guests will also be treated to tours of Batoche, Poundmaker and a powwow at Wanuskewin Heritage Park.
Whitecap Dakota First Nation’s success will also be profiled as part of the forum.
“There’s a lot of similarities with other indigenous populations from around the world and you don’t know until you get out there that we are doing a good job for our situation,” said Gilles Dorval, the city’s director of aboriginal relations.
“We’ve got some ways to go but there are some lessons that people could learn from us, some promising practice and there’s some information we can gather from other countries as well.”
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Organizers say a key focus of the forum will be sustainable development to ensure that as economic development moves forward, Mother Earth will be taken care as well.
Meaghan Craig contributed to this story
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