A Bison in business: Kathleen BlueSky

Kathleen BlueSky describes herself as “a helper.” 

“That’s what I am. When considering a role, I ask myself ‘Can I help here?’ If I don’t think I can, I’m not going to take it,” she says.

When the opportunity arose to lead Canada’s largest urban reserve development it was clear to BlueSky [MBA/2015] how she could contribute. Her leadership style, rooted in cultivating empowerment, is something she says she learned through her MBA experience at UM.

As CEO of Treaty One Development Corporation, BlueSky is the bridge between seven First Nations and the bureaucracy that’s stretched two decades for this historic $3-billion project in Winnipeg. Naawi-Oodena (“centre of the heart and community” in the Anishinaabe language) covers 160 acres at the site of the former Kapyong barracks.

UM Chancellor Dave Angus caught up with the Thompson-born grad to talk economic reconciliation for this latest installment of Bisons in Business, a series showcasing alumni who are notable in their field.

Chancellor Dave Angus: Tell me about your university experience.

Kathleen BlueSky: I was one of two First Nations MBAs at the time and the only First Nations woman. There was the Indigenous Business Education Partners that offered additional supports for Indigenous undergrad students. But I was a master’s student, so I couldn’t access IBEP, so I advocated with the director. And he listened.

What was a standout moment for you at UM? 

In the MBA program, I took the business pitch competition course and we traveled around North America. We pitched to big players like Nike and Google. We won in Louisville, Kentucky, for a software that can filter video data within seconds so you don’t have to scroll through it. We pitched it for retail companies dealing with loss prevention.

The standout moment was learning to speak from the heart. Our team inspired one another to believe in the product we were pitching and be vulnerable to bring our authentic selves into each competition. 

I definitely learned how to use my voice in a way that is authentic for me.

How have you maintained your connection to UM?

I present to the MBA class every year. Treaty One Development Corporation participates in the Co-op program. We hire students. Last year we kept the student for a period of time and then we actually encouraged him to go out and work in Corporate to get experience in that realm. When you work for a First Nations organization, it tends to be where you stay because you get it and that’s your purpose. But I wanted him to learn things outside First Nations organizations that he could bring back with him and help in that way. 

How did your involvement with Naawi-Oodena come about?

It was through my company, Seven Feathers Consulting, in 2019. We were asked to assist in developing the corporate governance structure and in leading the reserve creation process. I was still living and working up north. I was CEO for my nation, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

I definitely understood how important it is to have investments outside of the community. This is such an important opportunity for the communities who are the owners. 

What kind of legacy will it leave?

It’s really going to move us forward. There’s so many firsts that we’ve done with Treaty One First Nations. It’s the first joint reserve land code. It’s the best partnership agreement with a municipal government in Canada. Also, the law development—it’s the first time those laws are being developed in Canada. A lot of other First Nations developments like this—in Vancouver, in Calgary, in Ottawa—they’re looking to us.

This is leaving a legacy of First Nations leadership and ownership of a major development initiative. It will be the largest, financially, in Manitoba’s history with an anticipated $3-billion in development.

Do you see hope for Winnipeg, as a community, to be able to be that model for how we partner together with Indigenous peoples?

This project is probably the most tangible opportunity for the city to demonstrate its willingness to advance its relationship with First Nations. Winnipeg is in the heart of Treaty One Territory and a lot of people don’t know that. And it’s not reflected in the relationship the way it should be. It’s changing, but very incrementally. 

What is the next step for economic reconciliation?

I would like to see more partnerships around the land. I would like to see institutions, like the University, giving land back to Treaty One and not just to give it but to say: "Here’s this land that we want to develop, and let’s develop it under your jurisdiction, and let’s do that together." And there’s a way to do that that is still economically viable and profitable for both parties.

What is your greatest challenge in your current role? 

Finding the investments. Raising the capital. It’s because we don’t have a track record to back us. Everything is for the first time. We’ve had to do multiple layers of due diligence.

So far, we’ve built a gas station. We’re building a retail mall beside that. Across the street we’re building a 260-suite apartment, and then an office complex and other retail spaces. While we are largely self-performing, we have accessed some grants and government contributions. Approximately 10 per cent of our capital has come from those sources. 

Within the office space, we’re also going to have an Entrepreneurship Centre. Asper School of Business is one of our major education partners.

Let’s talk about the next generation. What do you want to see in tomorrow’s grads?

Personal growth and healing is critical. Not just for First Nations people but for everybody because we want to shift that relationship with everybody. There’s still a lot of resistance and naysayers who believe we get everything for free and don’t work for anything.

We also need to get more First Nation students in the MBA program and we need to get them in the program earlier. Empowering individuals with leadership skills is nation building and that’s what we need. I look at a lot of our First Nation organizations in Manitoba and I’m like, who is taking over? Some of these people have been there for 30 years already and we don't know who the successor is going to be. And we don’t know how equipped or prepared they’re going to be.

What is your long-term goal, in terms of contributing to the wealth of Indigenous people in Manitoba?

The biggest wish is that we’re going to be a springboard. So the benefits that come out of Naawi-Oodena would flow to communities and they would have money to invest into other projects, creating a life cycle of wealth.

If we can implement that strategy, we’re going to start to see shifts. We’re going to have improvements to housing. We’re going to have improvements to infrastructure. We’re going to have improvements to education. And I hope we’re going to have more cultural spaces to support holistic wellness, to support well-being. And when we start to see all of that, we’re going to see that shift in health outcomes. We’re going to see shifts in the demand on the health-care system.