Why Kaskitew-Maskwa

Not another consulting company. A different kind of organization entirely.

Kaskitew-Maskwa was not created to become another recruitment or consulting firm. It was created because too many organizations struggle to build genuine, long-term relationships with Indigenous communities — and too many Indigenous people continue to face real barriers to meaningful careers in Canada's fastest-growing industries.

The gap is not a shortage of good intentions. It is a gap between Indigenous people seeking meaningful careers, communities seeking long-term economic opportunity, employers needing skilled talent and authentic partnerships, and governments seeking measurable participation and outcomes.

The gap is a shortage of shared systems — practical, accountable structures that align community priorities, workforce goals, employer needs, educational capacity, and public responsibilities.

We exist to build those systems together.

• Genuine — Long-term relationships
• Measurable — Accountable outcomes
• Structural — Systemic change
• National — Across Canada

Inspired by Chief Big Bear

Kaskitew-Maskwa takes its name and inspiration from Mistahi-maskwa — Chief Big Bear — whose leadership was defined by unity, diplomacy, long-term thinking, and an unwavering commitment to protecting future generations. The founder, Skye Nipshank, is Chief Big Bear's third great-grandnephew, and the values that guided Chief Big Bear's leadership are the operating principles of this organization today.

Strength is not created when people stand alone. Strength is created when people choose to stand together around a shared purpose.

• Relationships before transactions
• Long-term thinking over short-term gain
• Shared prosperity for all
• Respect for people and place
• Accountability to community and partner
• Building together, always

Workforce is economic reconciliation.

Employment is more than filling jobs. Every meaningful career is a building block for something much larger — and far more durable than any single contract or compliance checklist.

Indigenous participation is strongest when communities, employers, governments, educators, workers, and suppliers share responsibility for building long-term economic capacity.

Workforce development is a practical pathway toward economic reconciliation when career opportunities, employer needs, community priorities, training capacity, and public commitments reinforce one another over time.

• Stronger families
• Stronger communities
• Stronger businesses
• Stronger local economies
• Long-term participation

Execution matters.

Progress requires more than strategies, reports, and commitments. Kaskitew-Maskwa helps partners move from conversation to alignment, from alignment to action, and from action to sustained, measurable momentum.

Ideas create momentum. Execution creates impact.

Our Principles

Not marketing copy — our operating system. These principles guide how we build shared direction while respecting each partner's distinct role, responsibilities, and constraints.

• Relationships before transactions.
• Execution before expansion.
• Capability before revenue.
• Ownership before dependency.
• Institutions before projects.
• Shared success before individual gain.
• Meaningful participation before symbolic inclusion.
• Stewardship before recognition.
• Long-term trust before short-term advantage.
• Leave every person, every partner, every community, and every industry stronger than when we arrived.

The Partnership Standard

We do not partner with everyone. Every joint venture, initiative, and partnership must successfully answer five questions before we engage.

• Alignment — Does this build long-term capability, or is it merely a short-term transaction?
• Integrity — Are all parties entering with transparency, respect, and a willingness to do the hard work?
• Impact — Will this tangibly strengthen the Indigenous communities and the industry involved?
• Execution — Do we have the focus, resources, accountability, and mandate to deliver well?
• The Legacy Test — Will this matter in 30 years?

Skye Nipshank — Founder & CEO

Skye Nipshank is the Founder and CEO of Kaskitew-Maskwa Consulting Inc., a majority Indigenous-owned company connecting workforce execution, Indigenous economic participation and industry development. Based in Calgary, he works across aviation, aerospace, defence and other major sectors to help organizations meet immediate workforce needs while building the people, partnerships and capacity required for long-term growth.

Skye’s Cree-Ojibwe and Métis heritage shapes his approach to leadership today. As the fourth great-grandchild of Chief Black Powder and third great-grandnephew of Chief Big Bear, he carries a family legacy of leadership, courage and resilience into his work. That heritage informs his commitment to integrity, accountability, service and responsibility to future generations. He approaches partnerships with respect for the distinct authority and priorities of Indigenous Nations and communities, alongside a practical understanding of industry’s commercial and operational needs.

With over ten years of experience in headhunting, business development and strategic relationship building, Skye has worked extensively with large enterprise organizations, government teams and industry leaders. This experience has given him a practical understanding of complex workforce requirements, organizational priorities and the coordination needed to move work forward across multiple stakeholders. He brings that perspective to Kaskitew-Maskwa’s approach to solving workforce challenges, from immediate hiring through to long-term workforce planning. The company’s work includes technical recruitment, executive search, workforce strategy, Indigenous career pathways, supplier diversity, community–industry partnerships and Indigenous Participation Plan support.

His focus is on turning shared priorities into practical action: connecting employers with critical talent, aligning education and training with real demand, and supporting pathways that lead to sustainable careers and stronger community capacity. This includes an Alberta-approved Indigenous aviation pathways initiative developed with community, training and employer partners.

Skye is leading the launch of IndigiSEC, an Indigenous defence and security conference connecting Indigenous leadership with industry, government and workforce partners to advance Indigenous business participation, strengthen Canada’s industrial capacity and turn shared priorities into lasting partnerships and practical opportunities.

Skye also serves as Membership Chair of the Mohkinstsis Urban Indigenous Rotary Club in Calgary, supporting membership growth, relationship building and community service through Indigenous-led leadership.

Through Kaskitew-Maskwa’s “Built Together” approach, Skye creates connections between communities, industry, government and education—and helps those relationships move from conversation to execution. His leadership is grounded in a clear purpose: stronger communities, stronger industries and one stronger Canada.

Kyle Tally, B.Comm. — Chief Operating Officer

Kyle Tally serves as Chief Operating Officer of Kaskitew-Maskwa Consulting Inc., leading the operational, commercial, and organizational systems required to translate strategy into measurable execution and support the company’s continued growth.

A graduate of the University of Alberta’s Alberta School of Business with a Bachelor of Commerce, Kyle brings more than a decade of experience spanning executive leadership, operations, capital construction, project and business development, organizational growth, and workforce recruitment.

Prior to joining Kaskitew-Maskwa, Kyle held senior leadership roles across the construction and real estate sectors. At Avenue Living, he led the restructuring of the capital construction function within a rapidly growing real estate organization with approximately $5.5 billion in assets, building and leading large teams while improving the systems, processes, and structure required to support continued growth.

At Keller Construction, a 65-year-old company, Kyle played a key role in significantly expanding the company’s presence in Calgary while also securing major projects across Alberta and Western Canada. During his tenure, he secured the largest project in the company’s history and helped position Keller to participate in conversations surrounding major and mega-scale developments.

At Kaskitew-Maskwa, Kyle’s focus includes strategy and execution, business development, strategic partnerships, financial and operational discipline, workforce initiatives, and the systems required to scale the organization. He also brings the operational execution behind IndigiSEC, helping translate the vision for the Indigenous-led security and defence conference into a scalable event platform through planning, partnerships, commercial development, vendor coordination, budgeting, and overall delivery.

His work spans aviation, aerospace, defence, technology, procurement and ITB/IPP execution, workforce development, and Indigenous economic participation.

Kyle works closely with Indigenous communities, industry, government, and strategic partners to turn opportunities into executable programs, partnerships, events, and long-term economic outcomes.

From the COO: “Strategy creates direction. Execution turns it into impact.”

The 5-Layer Ecosystem

True economic integration requires a phased, structural approach. We build capability layer by layer, moving from workforce entry to full industrial infrastructure ownership.

• Workforce — Building the baseline. Connecting Indigenous professionals, employers, communities, and training partners around durable careers and workforce needs.
• Programs — Scaling capability. Developing targeted training and capacity-building programs aligned with exact industry requirements.
• Indigenous Participation — Securing the supply chain. Integrating Indigenous-owned businesses into corporate procurement and government mandates (ITBs).
• Strategic Ventures — Creating equity. Forming joint ventures and partnerships that allow Indigenous groups to move from employees and suppliers to partners.
• Indigenous Industry Infrastructure — The ultimate goal. Sovereign ownership of critical infrastructure and industrial assets that generate multi-generational prosperity.

The goal is not simply to fill positions or complete projects.

The long-term vision is to become one of Canada's leading Indigenous strategic partnership organizations — aligning governments, Indigenous communities, educational institutions, workers, suppliers, and industry around practical action and lasting economic opportunity. Not for a quarter. Not for a contract cycle. For generations.

Strong communities and strong industries, moving forward together for generations.