This June, during National Indigenous History Month, SAP is taking the opportunity to reflect on the importance of learning about the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people that inhabited this land well before Canada was founded.
SAP Canada’s Indigenous Ally Network and the Reconciliation Steering Committee have been committed to the helping our employees reflect upon Canada’s rich history and the informed future we must carve out to be in better relations with Indigenous Peoples and their communities here in Canada. When SAP Canada began the journey, we wanted to ensure our strategy was comprehensive, culturally informed and effective, all while taking action on TRCCTA#92 to create a corporate ethos that embraces Indigenous worldviews, culture and thought leadership.
We are proud of the progress our team is making and the recognitions we have received. Among our initiatives, we honour Indigenous Peoples Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with educational programming and events including Indigenous guest speakers who can share their insights and perspectives directly with our team. We also honour the Day of Recognition for MMIWG2S, also referred to as Red Dress or ReDress Day. And this year we participated in the Moose Hide Campaign, distributing over 600 pins to raise awareness for abused Indigenous women and children.
“SAP Canada’s commitment to Indigenous reconciliation goes beyond educating our people,” said Zahi Maalouf, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, SAP Canada. “Our teams want to reach into our communities to make a real impact and continue paving the future of our awareness and reconciliation journey.”
To extend training and upskilling opportunities to Indigenous people within the communities we already serve, SAP Canada partnered with PLATO. This partnership will create training and employment opportunities within the Indigenous technology workforce.
Our Pro Bono for Economic Equity (PBEE) program is also continuing to support Indigenous-owned businesses in partnership with our Corporate Social Responsibility partner Pyxera Global. PBEE is part of SAP’s continued support of the social justice movement. SAP employee participants leverage their skills as pro bono consultants to help address systemic and business challenges. Ninety-five percent of entrepreneurs that have participated in this program have said they feel more prepared to address future challenges for their organization, including Nuez Acres and Chims Motel.
Nuez Acres is an Indigenous-owned business that provides vegan pecan oil beauty products. Every pecan is sustainably farmed and is a natural water-free alternative, showcasing the business’ commitment to sustainability. Anthony Wingham, Founder & CEO, Nuez Acres said, “We’ve worked with companies in the past that were more interested in ‘checking a box’ with Indigenous businesses. Working with SAP, they turned a light switch on for us, addressing some of the challenges we have been facing. We felt the SAP team really cared and were invested in our success and made an immediate impact on our business, showing savings right away.”
The owners of Chims Motel are offering a unique experience through Indigenous-designed guest house accommodations. “Building an online presence is understandably challenging and I could not have done it without the help of the SAP PBEE team. We are continuing to feel the benefits of the new reservation management system booking system and website enhancements the team introduced. We now have a more equitable chance to compete in this market,” said Naomi Nicholson, Co-Owner, Chims Motel.
SAP’s vision is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. We do this for our customers and strive to bring this to our broader communities as well. If you are an Indigenous business owner and are interested in the program, please express your interest HERE.
