the values her business was built on. 
This included an invitation to speak 
at a Republican oil and gas summit in 
Texas. "They offered quite a large sum 
of money for me to do this," she says. 
"[But] money isn't always the answer. 
I value integrity over that any day."
When asked what she would refuse 
to compromise for the sake of growth, 
Yawnghwe is unequivocal: "My culture, 
my values, who I am as an Indigenous 
woman who walks in this world as a 
responsible person of community — 
that's not ‘compromisable.’"
Whether expressed through digital 
art, plant medicine, botanical skincare 
or e-commerce, Indigenous futurism 
is mobilizing both Indigenous and 
non-Indigenous people to reimagine 
what is possible. "We've been able to 
contribute to the building of a move-
ment where Indigenous people and 
non-Indigenous people are heavily 
mobilized to create the world that 
they want their children to thrive in," 
Yawnghwe says. “That's what I believe 
Indigenous futurism is."
Consumers, adds Yawnghwe, are 
increasingly making purchases that 
align with their social values, choosing 
to support commerce built around 
relationships, which helps build 
a future imbued with Indigenous 
values: "When I think of Indigenous 
futurism, I'm thinking of this idea 
where commerce is built around rela-
tionships [and where] consumers are 
more aware of where they want to 
spend their dollars…. They're making 
purchases that align with their social 
values. They're making purchases 
that align with how they want to see 
the world."
Recently, while consulting with an 
Elder about an upcoming podcast 
for Indigenous women founders, 
Yawnghwe received guidance that 
crystallized her understanding of this 
work — guidance that applies equally 
to the work of McArthur, Angus and 
Joseph. "[The Elder] was talking 
about being co-creators with the 
Creator," Yawnghwe recalls. "These 
ideas, this innovation that we have — 
it comes through us. It's not ours, not 
ownership on what we can offer the 
world, but it's our co-creation with 
the Creator."
This spiritual understanding of innova-
tion as something that flows through 
an individual, rather than originating 
in them, fundamentally reframes how 
Indigenous success and achievement 
are measured. It centres on respon-
sibility, reciprocity and relationship. 
McArthur sees it as destiny: "I believe 
it has always been a continuation, it 
has always been a part of me, and 
what I believe is what I was destined 
to share."
All four women are demonstrating how 
Western systems can be reshaped by 
Indigenous values. As they continue 
their work, they are proving that 
Indigenous futurism lives as prac-
tice. It's blood memory. It's what 
McArthur has carried in her dreams and 
thoughts since before there were any 
external influences.
And it's been there all along.  
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Indigenous BUSINESS REPORT   51
INDIGENOUS FUTURISM

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