There is significant activity relevant to Call #3, but the emerging landscape is better characterized as a fragmented ecosystem of national business associations, provincial Indigenous chambers, and mainstream chamber partnerships than as a unified national network. The Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB, formerly CCAB) is the most prominent national organization, with over 2,500 member companies including more than 1,300 Certified Indigenous Businesses. Founded in 1984, CCIB functions as a de facto national Indigenous business association, providing certification, networking, research, advocacy, and events across the country. CCIB’s public policy platform explicitly lists Call #3 among the NIES Calls to Economic Prosperity it is actively advancing.
At the provincial level, several Indigenous Chambers of Commerce have emerged since the mid-2010s, including the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce of Saskatchewan (est. 2018), the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce of Ontario, and the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Manitoba. These organizations operate independently, providing networking, marketing, procurement support, and advocacy for Indigenous businesses within their respective provinces. Additionally, the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, based in Winnipeg, describes itself as a national organization with a mission rooted in the Seven Sacred Teachings. The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (Cando), founded in 1990, serves as a national network of Indigenous Economic Development Officers (EDOs) with regional representation across Canada, providing professional development, certification, and networking. While these organizations collectively deliver many of the functions envisioned by Call #3, they do not yet operate as a coordinated national network.
