Rama First Nation conference to focus on Indigenous procurement in Ontario

By Sam Laskaris

CHIPPEWAS OF RAMA FIRST NATION – About 200 delegates will be attending an Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association (OFNEDA) conference at the Casino Rama Resort in Chippewas of Rama First Nation.

This marks the 11th year OFNEDA has staged its First Nations Economic Advancement Conference; however, it is the first one since 2019 since officials cancelled both the 2020 and 2021 events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme of this year’s conference, which begins Tuesday (Aug. 16) and continues until Aug. 18, is Indigenous Procurement in Ontario.

The Casino Rama Resort also hold OFNEDA’s conference, whose location is moved across the province annually, back in 2011.

Rob Furlonger, OFNEDA’s executive director, said his association ran some virtual workshops the past couple of years since organizing an online conference would have provided many challenges.

But he’s thrilled the conference will be an in-person one again this year. He believes it’s vital to get delegates together in one location.

“I think it’s critical,” he said. “We need to hear from our people, from their own voices, get them involved with discussions of the issues that they’re facing today. And there are a lot of them coming out of COVID. So, sharing ideas, sharing experiences, successes, failures is very important to do one-on-one and face-to-face.”

OFNEDA is an association that represents the 131 economic development officers that work in First Nations throughout the province. About 60 of these EDOs will attend the conference.

Also participating will be various Chiefs and Councillors and Indigenous business owners.

Government officials and other business developers that are currently working with or seeking work with First Nations in the province will also be in attendance.

“We’re spread out throughout the whole province, some of us thousands of kilometres away from one another,” Furlonger said. “So, this is an opportunity to bring us all together and talk over the table … whatever it may be to share ideas.”

Furlonger added the theme of this year’s conference is a timely one.

“The reason why we’re choosing this issue at this time is from the recent news that both the federal and provincial governments have raised their targets to five per cent of their total procurement to come from Indigenous businesses,” he said. “And right now, they’re doing less than half of one per cent. So, this means probably close to a billion-dollar opportunity for First Nations across this country, which will translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in procurement opportunities for our members and our First Nations communities in Ontario.”

That’s certainly no small amount of change.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” Furlonger added. “It’s a huge economic issue for us and we want to show how our communities can get involved with this, if they’re not already involved how they can form joint ventures and partnerships.”

OFNEDA chair Adam Pawis, who is also the chief of Shawanaga First Nation, echoed these thoughts on what the association is hoping transpires at this year’s event.

“This year’s conference, we hope to achieve two very important objectives – how First Nations can access, obtain, and secure government procurement and how to plan prepare and demonstrate that First Nations are ready willing and able to participate in all facets of the economy,” Pawis said. “These processes and others will enable the restoration of Indigenous economy and by doing so indicate we (First Nations) are indeed open for business.”