Summer camps teach Indigenous youth the FUNdamentals of business

By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

(ANNews) – “The land and water heal us in every single way. Even just being out on the land, being in the fresh air, and exercising heals us as mental wellness,” shared Geena Jackson, creator of Bears Lair TV and co-founded Bears Lair Youth Dream Camps with her husband Dean Montgomery.

With the understanding that Indigenous traditions and connections to the land are deeply rooted in the core values of Indigenous economic development, and along with her experience in broadcast journalism, Jackson took this understanding a step further when she created the Bears Lair TV show in 2021. “The reason I started this was because I worked as the economic development officer for the second largest nation in BC, the Squamish Nation,” she explained. “In that time, I helped over 500 entrepreneurs from brainstorming to applying for business grants to expanding their existing business to the next level.”

When Jackson first started engaging with Indigenous entrepreneurs, she noticed that every person she was supporting not only faced adversity but also wanted to help communities in some way. “Every single person that I have worked with wanted to help and wanted to give back in a meaningful way.”

Statistically, 50% of every single Indigenous community, nation-to-nation, is under the age of 25, with Indigenous entrepreneurs growing 9 times faster than any other demographic in Canada.  Jackson seen this statistic as an opportunity to support our Indigenous youth. “These are the decision makers of tomorrow who are going to make impactful decisions that impact business, community, protocols, and language revitalization,” shared Geena. These future decision makers will impact our environment, and the core values of Indigenous economic development will affect partnerships working together with non-Indigenous industry to elevate our economies.

“We teach kid camps all over Canada,” said Jackson in relation to the Bears Lair Youth Dream Camps she co-founded as an opportunity to teach Indigenous values incorporated with business fundamentals, “so that Indigenous youth can learn about business in a trusting and encouraging space on their own territories.”

To date, Bears Lair Youth Dream Camps have facilitated 54 camps. In Alberta, there have been more camps than anywhere else in Canada, with camps in Enoch, Paul First Nation, Alexander, Alexis Nakota Sioux, Maskwacis, Saddle Lake, Lac St. Anne, Lubicon First Nation, Piikani, Fort McMurray, and Fort Chip.

“Alberta is our sweet spot,” she said, “and I think [it’s] because the nations are really progressive about opportunity and their youth.”

The program that hosts up to 30 kids, aged 11-18, per camp and teaches the fundamentals of business during a 3-day experiential learning camp. The youth are split into groups of five and each group gets a coach who navigates them through the 3-day program. It starts with choosing a business, naming what is going to be sold and a location and identifying core values to develop a motto and a logo. The campers learn how to develop their target market, a marketing plan, calculate start-up costs and engage in social activities to gain confidence in public speaking.

Bears Lair Youth Dream Camps are “non-trauma informed education,” shared Jackson. “We are not there to say this is what happened, and this is where we go from there. We are there to just provide opportunities for children and let their imaginations to go wild with the opportunities!”

Dream Camps encourage youth and young adults to imagine opportunities, to be inspired to continue their education, pursue training and consider entrepreneurship as a path to self-reliance. More information can be found on Bears Lair Youth Dream Camps website.