b'TECH & INNOVATIONWhat prompted you to launch Indigenous Aerospace? "IT STARTED OUT FOR ME AS A CARGO DRONE My undergrad is in health sciences, and my PhD program is in IndigenousENDEAVOUR, BUT AS I GOT INTO THE SECTOR AND health sciences as well, so looking at remote community well-being andLOOKED AT THE SPACE ALONGSIDE OTHER INDIG-solving the challenges that remote medicine has, particularly relatedENOUS PLIGHTS . I SAW DRONES AS A POWERFUL to logistics like the movement of medical supplies, equipment, phar-maceuticals, etc. was really inter- TOOL ALONG THE ROAD OF SELF-DETERMINATION."esting to me. Communities struggle with that logistical chain to deliver Jacob Tayloreffective services that improve quality of life locally. So it started out for me as a cargo drone endeavour, but as I got into the sector and looked at the space alongside other IndigenousCelebrating the rich and resilient plightsmostly the struggle for self-determinationI saw droneshistory of Indigenous peoples and as a powerful tool along the road ofworking to co-create a better self-determination.future through Reconciliation.We can also use drones for traditionalLearn more by visiting: land use occupancy studiesthingswww.nwmo.ca/Reconciliationthat we use with land claim purposes in court. Weve historically had this ongoing law battle over the treaties, what they actually intended, and we have to go to the Canadian courts to settle this often with the govern-ment. Data that drones collect is very important to that end. I spent a lot of time in my earlier life as a big brother in social service organizations, friend-ship centres particularly, and I see what drones do for young people as a retention tool for school and to inspire them towards science, technology, engineering, math careers. So I really see drones as a full-spectrum oppor-tunity in community development from a holistic lens.How has your work impacted your local community andelsewhere?One thing I think about is our work with Residential School inspection projects, training communities with LiDAR [Light Detection and Ranging] to be able to narrow the ground searches, to go over with the GPR [Ground Penetrating Radar] units in@nwmocanadatandem as a technological solution/company/nwmocanadathat helps hold the Government of Canada to account and helps INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS, ICONS & INFLUENCERS |ISSUE 1, 2023 23'