CPABC is committed to making the accounting profession more attractive and accessible to Indigenous individuals, and to supporting Indigenous candidates, students, and prospects who enter the profession. To these ends, we continue to work with and seek to understand the needs of our Indigenous members, and we continue to listen to and collaborate with Indigenous partners and organizations.
Here’s an overview of some of the key activities and initiatives undertaken since we published our last update in the May/June 2024 issue of CPABC in Focus.
Bringing members together
I’m pleased to say that CPABC has more than 280 self-identified Indigenous members. In addition to building a connection with them, one of our goals is to provide opportunities for our Indigenous members to meet and network with each other.
This was the impetus behind the creation of the Indigenous Members Forum in 2023. The forum is a virtual gathering space open to all Indigenous members, with some meetings open to non-Indigenous CPA allies as well. The most recent meeting, held on March 25, 2025, featured a presentation on the Indigenous Learners in Accounting (ILA) initiative. Launched by the Chartered Professional Accountants Western School of Business (CPAWSB), CPA Canada, and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Alberta, the ILA initiative incorporates Indigenous culture, content, and context with the goal of increasing Indigenous representation in accounting.
Presenters Yuen Ip, CPA, CMA, MBA, PMP, ICD.D, the CEO of CPAWSB, and Robert Andrews, DBA, MBA, CAFM (Blood Tribe),* provided an overview of the ILA courses. While these courses are based on the regular CPA certification program and lead to the CFE, they are tailored to address challenges unique to Indigenous learners. A recording of this session is available at bccpa.ca/about-cpabc/cpabc-indigenous-engagement, and you can find more information about the ILA initiative at cpawsb.ca/indigenous-learners-in-accounting.
CPABC also hosts in-person “meet-up” events to foster connection and communication among Indigenous CPAs. Three such events have been held since our last update: the first in Vancouver, the second in Victoria, and the third and most recent in Kamloops. For recaps of these gatherings, visit bccpa.ca/about-cpabc/cpabc-indigenous-engagement.
Engaging Indigenous youth and communities
Over the past year, we travelled across the province to connect with Indigenous communities and share information about careers in accounting and financial literacy resources with Indigenous youth and community members.
This included attending the SFU Student Powwow, the Kamloopa Powwow, the Squamish Nation Youth Powwow, the VYPER Youth Powwow, and the Stalew Powwow. We also participated in the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase, the AFOA BC & Bears’ Lair TV Youth Entrepreneur Summit, the Métis Nation of British Columbia Annual General Meeting, Cando Links to Learning, and Indigenous Gathering on Pathways in Business events at UBC and TRU. You can find recaps of many of these events in the News & Events section of the CPABC website at bccpa.ca.
Most recently, we participated in the Gathering Our Voices conference for Indigenous youth. More than 1,000 Indigenous youth from across BC attended the 2025 event, which was held from March 18 to 21 in Kamloops. In addition to engaging with attendees through our exhibitor booth during the conference’s career fair, we once again hosted five financial literacy sessions, including: “Money Basics for Indigenous Teens,” “Navigating Your First Tax Return,” and “Budgeting for Independence.”
Enhancing internal initiatives
Another of our goals is to include Indigenous perspectives in CPABC’s internal programming. With this in mind, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Jesse Bruised Head, or Sipisskoonakii (Night Shooter) in the Blackfoot language, who serves as CPABC’s Indigenous engagement program manager. Jesse is a proud member of the Siksikaittsiitapiiksi (Blackfoot People) of Treaty 7 territory. He hails originally from the Blood Tribe of Southern Alberta, one of four nations within the Blackfoot Confederacy, and was raised in his home territory.
Jesse pursued his post-secondary education at the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge. Before joining CPABC, he served the Blood Tribe as a youth program co-ordinator and as a small business development officer. Deeply connected to his culture and community, both professionally and personally, Jesse is committed to helping the CPA profession become a trusted partner to the Indigenous community.
Jesse also lends his perspective to educational sessions for CPABC staff, including an annual learning event focused on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Raising awareness
To bring additional awareness about Indigenous history to our members, we added the online course “4 Seasons of Reconciliation” to CPABC’s Continuing Professional Development Program. Offered in partnership with Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg and First Nations University of Canada in Regina, this course is available to CPABC members and members of other interested provincial bodies thanks to an agreement negotiated by CPA Manitoba.
The course is offered at a reduced rate, and participants receive a certificate at completion. You’ll find more information at bccpa.ca/about-cpabc/cpabc-indigenous-engagement—select “Reconciliation Education for Members” from the right-hand navigation menu.
How to get involved
If you’d like to volunteer in support of CPABC’s Indigenous Engagement Strategy, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact indigenous@bccpa.ca for more details.
Lori Mathison, FCPA, FCGA, LLB, is the president & CEO of CPABC.
This article was originally published in the May/June 2025 issue of CPABC in Focus.
Footnotes
* Yuen Ip is also a CPA, CMA, in Alberta. Robert Andrews is an FCPA, FCMA, in Alberta.
