The North

Northern Solutions by Northern People

MakeWay supports and connects the people, communities, and organizations advancing innovative solutions in the North.

Backing northern leaders along their path forward

Lasting solutions are best understood and led by the people who are closest to the challenges. MakeWay’s Northern Program works across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, as well as in the Inuvialuit, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut regions. We support the leadership of northern people, communities, and organizations advancing community well-being, economic prosperity, and environmental stewardship solutions.

Theory of Change

This is the multidirectional theory of change that guides our priorities and partnerships, demonstrating the interconnectedness that exists between our core priority areas.

Our team consists of experienced Northerners, living, and building trusting relationships with a diversity of communities and organizations across the North. With collaboration, durable solutions arise through local leadership and ownership.

Program Priorities

The work that makes up the Northern Program is centered on four key priority areas that are tightly connected and dependent upon each other.

MakeWay supports the efforts of next-generation northern leaders to fulfill their leadership potential.

We work with collectives of next-generation leaders and other partners on achieving the following goals:

Support emerging leaders in their development of resilient community-led initiatives and institutions.
Facilitate broadening networks and secure human and financial resources to make change happen.
Catalyze efforts to champion, develop, and implement sustainability, policy reform, and community well-being programming.

Ultimately, we hope for the following outcomes:

Collectives of emerging northern leaders have institutional stability with established mission, identity, and strategic direction.
Emerging leader collectives are leading self-directed, innovative projects addressing key social, economic, and environmental challenges in the North.

MakeWay supports existing and emerging land and water stewardship work led by northerners.

We help community partners achieve the following:

Develop and implement plans for land and water, including protected and conserved areas, land and marine-use plans, and wildlife management programs.
Design and implement Indigenous guardian, community-based monitoring, and stewardship programs.
Increase knowledge of wildlife, land, water, and other natural resources.

Ultimately, we hope for the following outcomes:

Northern ecosystems are healthy and resilient.
Northern peoples continue to practice ways of life that are dependent upon healthy northern ecosystems.
Indigenous land, water, and wildlife knowledge and expertise continues to inform stewardship.

MakeWay helps accelerate local, diversified economies rooted in strong local cultures and healthy ecosystems.

We work with partners on achieving the following goals:

Explore local economic pathways that uplift Indigenous culture and are reliant on healthy ecosystems.
Increase knowledge that can be used to build local and sustainable enterprises that deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits and keep wealth in the North.
Demonstrate the contemporary economic value of healthy ecosystems and Indigenous culture.

Ultimately, we hope for the following outcomes:

Sustainable, community-based enterprises are viable and are proven to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to northern communities.
Community-based northern enterprises have access to financing that recognizes their unique needs and circumstances.

MakeWay supports existing and emerging culture and language work led by northerners.

We work with partners on achieving the following goals:

Empower healthy, resilient northern leaders and communities by deepening connection between Indigenous peoples and their homelands.
Foster Indigenous knowledge and art that is inspired and defined by nature and culture.
Ensure Indigenous languages thrive so the next generations can communicate in their mother-tongue.

Ultimately, we hope for the following outcomes:

Increased sustainability of existing community-based culture and language programs.
New community-based culture and language programs are catalyzed.
Knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst communities and organizations amplifies best practices and scales success.
Favorable Indigenous culture and language policies exist.
High fluency in Indigenous language and ways of knowing and being is being transmitted between generations.

“The fact that MakeWay has a northern presence is critical; we know who we’re working with and they understand the issues and the context for what solutions could or should look like.”

Debbie DeLancey

former Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Government of Northwest Territories