The co-founder of the Tea Creek Farm Training program in Kitwanga had the chance to testify to the Government Operations Committee as part of hearings on the government's Indigenous procurement practices.
Jacob Beaton was invited by MP Taylor Bachrach to speak to during recent Indigenous procurement practices hearings.
Beaton's Tea Creek Farm Training Program stems from his vision of healthy, resilient Indigenous economies, based around abundant local food.
"Our past is our future, is how I sum up Tea Creek, that's the vision. And the nuts and bolts is retraining our people to take those places within our economy, from top to bottom."
Beaton emphasized the need for Indigenous-led businesses;
“A simple definition of Indigenous led is that if Indigenous people are making the decisions at every level of an organization, those are going to be Indigenous decisions. They're going to be aligned with Indigenous values and perspectives, and they're going to benefit the community. They're going to create local jobs. They're going to create jobs for other Indigenous people and opportunities to advance. But the Indigenous led standard is not embraced anywhere in Federal government that I've come across.”
Bachrach said in a statement that "Tea Creek's impact on our region cannot be overstated, and Jacob's insights on Indigenous procurement are extremely relevant to the committee's work."
Jacob and the Tea Creek Farm Training Program were also featured in a documentary film this year. The film is titled "Tea Creek", and is available to watch for free on CBC gem.
