Indigenous innovation: part of the tradition, not the trend

Indigenous-led innovation has strengthened communities for generations. Sustainable, flexible investment is now essential to continue the momentum.

Then-minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef said the Indigenous Innovation Initiative is 'based on the strength and the resiliency of Indigenous communities and the power of Indigenous women and LGBTQ2S leaders,' in a Grand Challenges Canada press release on May 11, 2020.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY KATHY MANNERS

February 2, 2026

Innovation is not new to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Long before “national innovation strategy” became a fixture of federal policy, Indigenous communities across Turtle Island were developing technologies from agricultural to environmental, economic, and so...

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