OneFeather and First Nations Technology Council Partnership Advances Indigenous Talent in Tech 

Growing Indigenous Tech Talent

OneFeather is proud of our long-standing partnership with the First Nations Technology Council and its Career Services Program, rooted in long-term Indigenous talent development. The program connects alumni with internships at technology companies committed to increasing Indigenous participation and leadership in tech, while taking meaningful steps toward Truth and Reconciliation.

At FNTC, our internship and mentorship programs go beyond just training people for jobs. We want to ensure that Indigenous learners entering the tech sector step into workplaces where their talents are genuinely respected and where they have room to grow and thrive.

Our partnership with OneFeather has been a wonderful example of what that can look like in practice. Working with an Indigenous-led technology company that shares our values has created meaningful opportunities for our learners to apply their skills in real-world settings while being supported by a team that understands the importance of community and culture.

Being in good relations with partners like OneFeather means a great deal to us and to the learners we serve. We are proud to partner with OneFeather to help expand opportunities and demonstrate the incredible talent and creativity within Indigenous tech communities.

- Kim Henderson, 
Director of Digital Skills and Career Development at First Nations Technology Council

A Success Story

Through this partnership, internship opportunities have grown into lasting careers. BC-based Brennan Rehlau, a member of the Ojibway community, joined OneFeather as an IT Intern through the program and has since transitioned into a permanent role as an IT Support Technician.

"Working with and for a team whose mission is to help and serve Indigenous communities gives me great fulfillment at the end of the day, and motivates me to be the best I can be in supporting the teams that support the communities.

To earn my place from intern to a permanent employee has rewritten what is possible for me as someone of Indigenous descent working in the tech space; a career I had only dreamt of previously. I hope others like myself dreaming of opportunity feel motivated and know that with great effort and pride in your work, you can achieve what's in your heart."

A Partnership Strengthening Indigenous Tech Capacity

Through its longstanding partnership with the First Nations Technology Council, OneFeather continues to support the development of Indigenous tech talent and strengthen Indigenous representation in the sector — where Indigenous professionals currently represent an estimated 2.2% of Canada’s tech workforce.

“We began this partnership as a means of removing barriers to Indigenous people entering tech. There is still significant underrepresentation, and we are working to actively change this dynamic.

As an Indigenous technology company, it’s our responsibility to ensure Indigenous people see a future for themselves in tech. It’s an honour to provide opportunities that support growth, leadership, and generational change.”

– Lawrence Lewis, 
Founder & CEO of OneFeather (We Wai Kai Nation)

OneFeather remains committed to advancing Indigenous workplace development and building pathways for the next generation of Indigenous technology leaders.

About OneFeather

OneFeather is an Indigenous-led technology company redefining what Indigenous business can be. Rooted in the teachings, governance traditions, and cultural knowledge of the Nations we serve, OneFeather creates digital solutions that strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and enhance community wellbeing. Our work brings together traditional wisdom and technological innovation to reimagine how Indigenous peoples engage with governance, membership, identity, financial empowerment, data, and Nation-centred digital services. 

About First Nations Technology Council

The First Nations Technology Council was established in 2002, at a time when the digital divide between First Nations communities and the rest of BC was wide and growing. First Nations leadership saw that technology was going to shape everything: education, economic development, health, language, governance and that Nations needed their own organization to lead that work. 

The First Nations Leadership Council, which consists of the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, mandated them to focus on four areas: digital skills development, connectivity, information management, and technical support and services. That mandate still guides everything they do today.

Over two decades later, their work has grown, but the purpose hasn't changed. They are here so First Nations in BC have the skills, tools, and infrastructure to use technology on their own terms.