Sharing the Stream: Swimming Together to Create Fish Leather

7 Leagues has always been community-focused, so naturally, we are conscious of the importance of Indigenous stewardship and the significance of ancestral territories. There is a misconception that business and economics are post-settler constructions, when in fact the Indigenous peoples of the Americas had advanced economic structures of their own. The stewardship and allocation of natural resources is a practice that dates back before time immemorial, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception.

The last time readers of 7 Leagues’ newsletter heard from me, I was still an Eager Beaver (intern), and while the spirit remains, I now write to you as 7 Leagues’ Bard. Apart from the title, how has my role at 7 Leagues changed? Well, it is primarily to do with our Indigenous partnerships project, hence my alternate title: Marketing & Indigenous Outreach Officer.

This is part of my inspiration as an Indigenous business student, member of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Nation, and an emerging business employee. I believe that stewardship and sustainability not only have a place in business but should be a central consideration of it. I was drawn to 7 Leagues for this reason; the dedication to business model innovation is the type of innovation I am interested in.

In my time in business school, I have spent a handful of years studying traditional business models with little variation. Any time spent working outside of academia reveals that the issues of the real world are much more complex than those in university case studies. What I see in the business world is a lot of time and resources dedicated to innovating products and services that fit the constraints of existing business models. What struck me about 7 Leagues in particular and social enterprise in general is the assertion that profits and social benefit don’t have to be treated separately as they so often are.

I’m driven by the pursuit of adapting the business model as we know it to consider benefits beyond profit alone and detriments beyond mere short-term monetary cost. 7 Leagues and other purpose-driven enterprises are expanding the conventional business model to include the values and perspectives of more individuals and communities.

The goal of initiatives like our Indigenous partnership project is to create win-win business solutions that address social and environmental needs, in addition to answering market demand. The goal is not to forfeit profits in doing this, but to incorporate these objectives using the triple bottom line of people, planet, profit.

We intend to partner with Indigenous fisheries and processors with a shared interest in sustainable practices and in adapting the conventional business model to serve the needs and desires of remote and urban communities. Additionally, we have partnered with FPInnovations on UBC Campus Vancouver, to work alongside their development of an Indigenous-owned tannin business which will supply us (and others) with the tannins used to make leather and other products. A portion of the leather we make as a result of this socially and eco-conscious production process will be dedicated towards supplying Indigenous artists and artisans with wholesale leather. This collaboration provides a co-marketing opportunity and makes room for another win-win solution.

Part of building relationships with Indigenous partners is being open to deliberation and flexible to changes of plan. It must be a continuous development process where the wants and needs of all parties are considered and respected. Because of this, it is often hard to say what exactly an Indigenous partnership will look like before it has taken form. At the center of our goal to create Indigenous partnerships through these projects is, however, an enduring sentiment of collaboration and reconciliation.

Indigenous business and reconciliation in general is as much about building the future as it is reconciling the past. So Indigenous partnerships and innovation go hand in hand. At 7 Leagues, we strive for a future of collaboration and mutual benefit between businesses, communities, and individuals. We hope the start of these projects is the beginning of long and meaningful relationships with Indigenous partners.