Ch’nook Aboriginal Business Education Program

Ernest Armann, graduate of the Ch’nook Aboriginal Business Education Program.

Having served as Band Manager for the N’Quatqua Nation for fifteen years, Ernest Armann ’s responsibilities have encompassed health, education, employment, and much more. “But the programs were not always sustainable,” Ernest observes. “In Aboriginal communities, we tended to rely on outsiders to provide us with business expertise. I felt that we were lacking the business knowledge to participate effectively in development.”

Addressing this challenge is at the core of the mission of Ch’nook Aboriginal Business Education Program , a collaborative effort of the Sauder School of Business and UBC’s First Nations House of Learning . The program, named after the Chinook jargon used in earlier times as the language of trade, aims to build Aboriginal management capacity by teaching business skills to Aboriginal learners—with the mission to create economic development within Aboriginal communities. Unlike traditional business programs, Ch’nook integrates the insights of Aboriginal leaders into the curriculum.

Ernest graduated in 2007 as part of the first cohort of the Ch’nook Advanced Management Program. The program introduced him to areas ranging from innovative problem solving to inspirational contact with successful business leaders. The exposure, he says, stimulated his interest in various fields, which in turn broadened his understanding of business, offering him new ways of finding solutions to complex problems. Recently, he applied the business model to help an Aboriginal council create a powerful, accountable brand that speaks to the unique needs of its members.

“Business principles can be incorporated to help answer some tough questions in community development. I analyze things from different angles, and strive to make things better.”

Multi-year support for the Ch’nook initiative is being provided by Terasen Gas Inc., Vancouver Foundation, BC Hydro, and EnCana. Additional project support has been received from the First Nations Employment Society, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Vancity, and Spectra Energy.

Learn more about the Sauder School of Business’ priority projects and the many ways to give.
MAKE A GIFT ONLINE
Back to Storybank: Community Well-Being