ABOUT US
WHO IS OSIHCIKEWIN?
Osihcikewin is a 100% owned and operated business offering trades exploratory programs and workshops to Indigenous Communities here in Saskatchewan.
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The ultimate goal of these programs is to introduce hands-on learning to people in Indigenous communities and provide them with the knowledge on how to use the tools in their pouches, how to safely operate power tools and to give them the skills required to fix the minor problems in their own homes.
The trades may not be for everyone, but they are handy skills to have for everyday life. With Osihcikewin, you’re not only building skills, you’re building confidence!
OWNER & OPERATOR
Shylah Nokusis is a mother of one son and comes from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation situated in Treaty #4 near the town of Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. As a young Indigenous person, Shylah was taught the value of hard work and perseverance which has served her well in the trades industry for the past fourteen years.
Shylah not only represents the carpentry and scaffolding trades, but was also an Ironworker working across Canada from British Columbia to Nunavut. In 2016, she achieved the status of Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter and was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology’s Outstanding Journeyperson Award.
It wasn’t until her time working with the Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA) in 2020 that she saw the obstacles for not only women, but Indigenous Peoples, that prevented them from entering into the trades. She saw a solution to those obstacles and in 2021, she left OAWA and created Osihcikewin “To Build”, an Indigenous owned and operated company that offers exploratory trades programs for men and women in Indigenous communities and as well, Summer Trades Camps for Indigenous youth.
In addition to offering exploratory trades programs and summer trades camps, Osihcikewin also works with Indigenous communities in meeting the demands of their housing portfolio. Shylah is also a Trades and Apprenticeship Consultant working with Indigenous Communities across Saskatchewan.