As Bernice Clarke, of Uasau Soaps in Iqaluit, stated during her opening remarks on the first day of the Empowering Innovation of Spirit Conference in Yellowknife, “We all have a purpose.”

Clarke shared that the tool for lighting and tending a qulliq — a traditional seal oil lamp used by Inuit for generations — is the taqquti, a wick trimmer. It's important to not take the function of the taqquti away by using a lighter or matches, she advised. Just like the taqquti, she said, we cannot take a person's purpose away from them.

So began days of inspired speeches from some of the world's leading Indigenous economic theorists and entrepreneurs during the Aug. 26-28 conference, which was hosted by EntrepreNorth at the Explorer Hotel.

During the opening remarks, Ben Scott, founding dir

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