Community Resources
Indigenous Procurement Protocol
The City of Saskatoon is committed to meeting the needs of our stakeholders through open, fair, and transparent procurement processes. We provide equal access to all qualified suppliers and maintain public trust through our procurement principles.
The City is committed to working with Indigenous people, communities and businesses throughout Saskatchewan to promote the procurement of goods and services from Indigenous individuals and businesses.
For the City of Saskatoon, a Diverse Supplier means any business or enterprise that is more than 50% owned, managed and controlled by persons belonging to a group that experiences discrimination or barriers to equal opportunity including women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, new immigrants, LGBTQ2S+ people, visible minorities, and other groups the City identifies as historically under-represented.
Read more about the City's Indigenous Procurement Protocol
In November 2021, the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network invited Scott Eaton, the City's Director of Supply Chain Management, to present on the City's procurement process and how Indigenous suppliers can access these opportunities.
A Developer’s Handbook - Coming Soon!
The City of Saskatoon welcomes all Indigenous investors considering opportunities for investment and economic development in Saskatoon, including First Nations who may wish to establish an urban reserve within Saskatoon. While the urban reserve creation process is led by federal and provincial governments, the City has an active role in the process.
A Developer’s Handbook is currently being developed to provide a guided approach to those who intend to develop land within the City of Saskatoon, with a section specifically focused on First Nations who may wish to establish an urban reserve within the city.
The handbook will provide information on what you need to know before purchasing and developing land, including:
- Important plans and policies
- Re-zoning and subdividing land
- Developing un-serviced or fully serviced land
- Preparing a land development proposal
- Opportunities for development incentives
- Environmental considerations
- Key stakeholders, including major utility providers
- Establishing an urban reserve
The City encourages those interested in developing land in Saskatoon to contact the Planning & Development Department at regional.planning@saskatoon.ca or 306-975-2645 before purchasing land to ensure the site selection, building plans and development interests align with municipal regulations and requirements.
For more information on Urban Reserves or to learn more about First Nations with land interests in Saskatoon and area, visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.
ayisiyiniwak: A Communications Guide
ayisiyiniwak [a/yi/see/ni/wak, Cree for ‘the people are speaking’]: A Communications Guide” (ayisiyiniwak) is part of the City’s commitment to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s Call to Action #57, which specifically calls upon governments to: “provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations.”
Originally developed in 2017 as an educational resource for City employees to enhance their understanding of Indigenous culture and practices, copies of the guide have since been requested by organizations across Canada including government agencies, other municipalities, educational institutions and community groups.
ayisiyiniwak was developed by the City of Saskatoon in partnership with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC) and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) who provided valuable information on First Nation meeting etiquette, protocols and ceremonial traditions.
The second edition of ayisiyiniwak was released in August 2019 and includes the following updates:
- A chapter devoted to Métis culture and local history
- A new Inuit chapter
- Updated Cree translations (including the title) as reviewed by nêhiyawak or Cree speaking linguists
- New sections within the First Nations chapter including 60’s Scoop, Elder’s Helper, Syllabics, Flag Etiquette, Anthems/Honour Songs, The Grand Entry, Blanketing and Two-Spirit People
- Several new terms and suggested resources
While information presented in ayisiyiniwak is unique to Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland of the Métis, it does provide some basic understandings of Indigenous culture and history that is applicable to other jurisdictions. In all cases, it is advised to consult local Elders to determine what is appropriate in other parts of Canada.
ayisiyiniwak is presented as an adaptive and living document that will continue to develop as our relationships and understanding grows.
Hard copies of ayisiyiniwak can be purchased from SICC’s Online Store.
NOTE: This publication is the work of the City of Saskatoon, SICC and OTC and any part or all of this work may be used free of charge by any non-profit or educational group for use as a communication guide or for an educational purpose so long as the work is not being sold and the appropriate crediting is given.
View ayisiyiniwak: A Communications Guide
Indigenous Engagement Employer Handbook
It’s time to Kîpa and Kakwayahook to better engage Indigenous participation in the economy from employment to partnerships to ownership, and to help ensure that Saskatchewan enjoys a diverse, resilient, and growing economy.
The Indigenous Engagement Employer Handbook was developed by the City of Saskatoon along with more than a dozen community partners made up of First Nation, Métis, and non-Indigenous employers, employment, education and training institutions, business associations, and community organizations. It strives to support employers in their reconciliation journey by providing guidance and practical options for employers seeking to improve their Indigenous workforce recruitment and retention outcomes. The handbook is based on a series of workshops and consultations held in early 2019 that included some of Saskatoon’s largest First Nation, Métis and non-Indigenous employers, employment, education and training institutions, business associations and community organizations.
While not every suggestion in the Handbook will be relevant for everyone, we hope that many of the suggestions will resonate with most employers.
In addition, we have produced a series of vignettes offering personal accounts from both employers and employees about their journeys in either engaging Indigenous people in the workforce or participating in it from an Indigenous perspective.
The Indigenous Engagement Employer Handbook responds to Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action #92 calling on the corporate sector to engage in meaningful consultation and develop respectful relationships with Indigenous communities and businesses as well as provide equitable access to jobs, training and educational opportunities to Indigenous peoples.
The Handbook is made possible through the support of community investors Nutrien, Affinity Credit Union, and the Saskatoon Community Foundation. For more information, visit the Saskatoon Aboriginal Community Action Plan (SACAP) website at sacap.ca.
TRC Call to Action #92 - Business & Reconciliation
We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:
i. Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.
ii. Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
iii. Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
kitaskinaw Report
The City of Saskatoon was pleased to partner on the development of the kitaskinaw Report: An Environmental Scan of Programs and Services Serving Indigenous People in Saskatoon.
The intent of this report was to provide a comprehensive inventory of programs and services valued by the Indigenous community. This report was expected to have applications in making decisions about Indigenous service delivery.
Other project partners included the Gabriel Dumont Institute, United Way of Saskatoon and Area, and the Saskatoon Tribal Council.