SIJJA IS…
SIJJA Consulting is a Nunavut-based firm that works to better Arctic communities through thoughtful engagement and respect for Indigenous knowledge.
Founded in 2018 by Colleen Healey, SIJJA Consulting has been in business for 5 years and provides a broad range of services to northern organizations across Canada from our headquarters in Iqaluit, Nunavut. SIJJA is a 100% BIPOC female-owned business. We have extensive experience working with Inuit land claim organizations, governments, non-Government organizations, non-profits and research institutions.
Our mission is to help build stronger Arctic communities by supporting positive initiatives that improve the lives, land, and ecosystem of the region.
At SIJJA Consulting we love to find new ways of improving systems by blending our creative and scientific approaches to create and innovate. We understand the importance of respecting and considering cultural values and knowledge when engaging with Inuit communities and we work to apply Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to everything we do. We believe that the Arctic is one of the most resilient and formidable places in the world and every project we take on aims to help our communities and environment so that we can leave them in a better way than we found them.
SIJJA does communication right. We excel in using our networks of community leaders and knowledge holders to bring people and projects together for success. We understand the complexities of working with and communicating in remote northern communities and can help your organization navigate these waters to ensure project. Most of all, we excel at helping our clients to effectively (and efficiently) achieve their goals!
We are also a registered Nunavut Business and a Local Business as defined by the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) policy of the Government of Nunavut with 100% ownership in Nunavut.
“I’ve always loved bringing people together and creating space for knowledge-sharing and innovation. There’s something so rewarding in that process. Something as simple as a conversation between two people can lead to incredible ideas and life-long partnerships if you just help make that space possible.”
Wondering WHAT ‘SIJJA’ MEANS?
In the Inuktitut language, the word “sijja” (ᓯᔾᔭ) means seashore and that is where our company was started - on the Arctic shores of Baffin Island. From the offices of SIJJA Consulting we look out onto these waters year-round, breathing in its salty air, grounding us in our mission to protect and support our environment, our land, and our community.