A Young woman from Sliammon First Nation – Alisha Point – thinks she made the perfect match when she started working for Raven Events this summer.

She has been focusing on Raven’s highly successful trademarked Aboriginal Business Match [ABM] events, which involves travelling across the country, bringing together decision makers at all levels.

Alisha Point

“What I like about my job is that I directly contribute to the success of a business forum that fosters the development of a new legacy between Aboriginal and Non- Aboriginal people,” she said. At ABM, Aboriginal businesses and communities find partners, explore new ideas, access new markets and expand their network.

“All of this results in concrete economic activity on reserves and beyond. ABM facilitates the creation of wealth through business, making communities strong and healthy. None of this is abstract. I see it working and that is very rewarding.”

Alisha’s mother is Arlene Point and her grandparents are Doreen and Alex Point of Sliammon. Their roots extend from Sliammon to Church House and Musqueam where the Point name originates.

She lives at Sliammon with her “wonderful and brilliant” eight-year-old son Landyn and partner A.J. who is from Homalco First Nation. When not making business matches, Alisha enjoys reading, sketching, beading cases and earrings, boating and fishing and seasonal harvesting local resources, such as mushrooms and shellfish.

If there is one lesson she has learned so far through ABM, it’s that “success in business is driven by the people involved. No matter how large or small the company and no matter what stage of economic development a community may be at, it takes that one person who pursues business goals with ambition and respect while always looking for mutual benefit.

“These leadership qualities can create real change and self-determination for our communities and their business people.”

Alisha has put her own version of that philosophy into practice by working in her own community. “The most important work I have done was when I was a volunteer member of the Sliammon constitution working group, which consisted of community members, elected members of Sliammon Chief and Council and lawyers.

“We read over the final draft of the Tla’Amin Constitution and this is where I had the chance to familiarize myself with what the constitution even was, what it consisted of, and how this was relevant to the Tla’Amin Treaty.“The constitution is the foundation of a government operating under a treaty and is the framework by which decisions, laws and policies are to be made by a treaty government.”

The Tla’Amin Constitution was approved in a vote by members and adopted in 2009. Effective day for the Tla’Amin Treaty is April 2016.