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Sheila Flaherty

@siilaflaherty

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Chef / Founder @sijjakkut
📍 Iqaluit, Nunavut

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a month ago

@entreprenorth @empoweringinnovationspirit conference brought together Indigenous entrepreneurs from Alaska, across the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and Sápmi in Sweden.

During the Alumni panel, I shared that I had almost cancelled my trip. I am carrying a lot with sijjakkut — setbacks, difficult decisions and challenges that, at times, have felt insurmountable.

But sijjakkut is my baby. I have nurtured it, protected it, believed in it and poured so much of myself into it. I will keep nurturing it and pursuing every avenue until those avenues show me, once and for all, what is possible. What will come, will come.

And then I got to Whitehorse.

My eN cohort sister Terri-Lee of @tutchonetours was there for me from the moment she picked me up at the airport. Seven years after going through eN's growth program together with Bobbi Rose, she reminded me just how solid those relationships can be. I also got to squeeze Joella, owner of The Yukon Soaps Company — what she has built is inspiring to witness.

I met my first cousin's daughter Miranda, who lives in Whitehorse. I made new connections too — including one with a young entrepreneur who introduced herself on our last day and with whom I connected immediately.

Throughout the conference, people came up to tell me that what I shared on the panel resonated with them. I was humbled by that.

And I came away even more certain of something else: an Indigenous approach to entrepreneurship isn't just important — it is necessary.

We can navigate business in ways that are aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing and being. We can build relationships before transactions, value reciprocity, trust our knowledge, stay grounded in who we are, and still build strong and viable businesses.

We don't have to leave our ways at the door to succeed in business.

Old relationships were strengthened, new ones began, and I have renewed energy to keep nurturing this little business I love so much.

Quyanainni, EntrepreNorth. 💜

#sijjakkut #EntrepreNorth #EmpoweringInnovationSpirit #IndigenousEntrepreneurship #InuitEntrepreneurship taken in Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre by @siilaflaherty

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a month ago

💜✝️ Rest in Paradise, Adeline ✝️💜

Your Uncle J and me are devastated. There's no more Billiejeans. To share, she had a red leather jacket when she was little in Grise Fiord and loved Michael Jackson and there came his nickname for her.

Johnny's late Mom Rynee's nickname for Adeline was tiu tiu, and the evening of her funeral, a little bird landed softly on our window.

She is greatly missed. by @siilaflaherty

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3 months ago

June 29, 2017 was one of those days that confirmed what I already knew in my heart.

I had already been developing and selling my hot smoked maple Arctic char locally, and community members had been giving me incredible feedback.

Then came my very first professional catering opportunity—for the Royal Visit to Iqaluit by the then Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, now Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

I prepared canapés showcasing Nunavut ingredients: caribou terrine, hot smoked maple Arctic char, and savoury Arctic shrimp biscuits.

I later received good word that the RCMP limousine driver said Queen Camilla was raving about the hot smoked maple Arctic char all the way to the airport.

That was the highest level of external confirmation I could have imagined.

Quyanainni to the Government of Nunavut's Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs team for trusting me with that opportunity.

After that day, I knew I had something special. I became more determined than ever to build sijjakkut and bring my hot smoked maple Arctic char to market.

Looking back nine years later, that moment wasn't just about serving royal guests. It was about believing that Inuit food, our ingredients, and our stories belong on the world stage.

#arcticchar #inuitfood #culinarytourism #inuit taken in Iqaluit, Nunavut by @siilaflaherty

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3 months ago

Just in time for tomorrow.. my phone created this memory from 8 years ago today. While visiting he brought me to see his kitfox plane. It was almost ready for flight testing.

8 years ago my Dad was 85!

He had flown to Idaho and bought a kit and built this plane. He has since sold it but the registration will always carry his initials RPL.

His example is where I get my drive to pursue my passions, my overall work ethic and my love for flying - as a passenger not a pilot 😅 #worldpilotday by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

Today I hooked my first Arctic char of 2026 at Sylvia Grinnell River.

There are few places I'd rather be than on the land with Johnny, harvesting food and enjoying a Nunavut summer day.

The work I do through @sijjakkut is rooted in moments like these. Inuit food doesn't begin in a kitchen—it begins on the land, with the knowledge, relationships, and traditions that have sustained our people for generations.

#Inuit #Nunavut #ArcticChar taken in Sylvia Grinnell River by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

What a Beautiful Circumpolar Arctic Invitation! ✨

Johnny and I are heading to Kalaallit Nunaat this August for Qooqqut Festival outside Nuuk, where we’ll be part of Nerisavut / Traditional Food.

Qooqqut is located in a fjord surrounded by mountains and wilderness — such a beautiful setting to gather around culture, community, storytelling, music, food, and connection to the land.

What an incredible opportunity for sijjakkut to share Inuit food, stories, and knowledge from Iqaluit, Nunavut, and to be part of cultural exchange and conversation through inuksiutit -- our food.

Doing this together makes it even better!

Qujanaq, quyanainni, nakurmiimarialuk to Qooqqut Festival and Katuaq for the invitation. We cannot wait! 💜 ⚡ Festival Link in Bio ⚡

#qooqqutFestival #KalaallitNunaat #nunavut #inuitnunangat by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

💜

Little did I know back in 1992, attending my first ICC General Assembly in Inuvik, that Burton Rexford’s words would stay with me for so many years.

The first photograph is from 1992 in Inuvik with the late Burton Rexford of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, Chair of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. I was serving as ICC Youth Coordinator at the time.

I remember Burton telling me that I had family in Utqiaġvik. At the time, I had never been there and never thought I'd have the chance to go.

Fast forward to 2018, it was amazing to travel to Utqiaġvik for ICC's 13th General Assembly.

I met and spent cherished time with my late great-uncle Jacob Kagak, my Aana Darlene, their daughter Martha and son Warren, my beautiful aññaq Bobby Brower, and many other Iñupiat, including Joni Edwardsen and other circumpolar Inuit like my friend Maria Pituaq Kleist from Sisimiut. I want to go back and visit with my husband and son!

And now Iqaluit is getting ready to host ICC's 15th General Assembly, July 22–25. It will be an exciting time, and I look forward to all of the buzz of Inuit coming here from across Inuit Nunaat.

#iñuit #iñupiat #inuvialuit #inuitcircumpolarcouncil by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

ɳιƙƙυ // ᓂᒃᑯ

I was craving nikku, so we pulled a caribou hind leg out of the freezer last Sunday.

I cut it all into thin slices when it was coming out of frozen..as for the shank, I braised it and included both bones. For the last of the roasted meat, I cut it up, threw in some pasta and carrots and made a simple bone broth soup for lunch the other day, so yum.

As for the nikku, what you see is what's left. We only have 3 racks, so as one batch was ready, I pulled out the bowl of sliced meat from the fridge and started drying the next batch. It took all week.

Repeat repeat repeat repeat...all the while, as soon as it's ready, it's really hard to stop munching. Perfect healthy yummy snacks. I'll vacuum seal what we have left into portion sizes and put them in the freezer. by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

I'm looking forward to joining the Empowering Innovation Spirit Conference in Whitehorse! ⚡The agenda is now live, link in bio ⚡

As an Inuvialuk founder, chef, and cultural advocate, I've learned that building a business is about so much more than products or services. It's about purpose, relationships, resilience, and staying grounded in your values, especially when the path forward isn't always straightforward.

I'm grateful to EntrepreNorth not only for the invitation to speak, but also for the encouragement and support they've provided through the years. More recently, that support has continued through the Sinew Impact Fund as I work to grow @sijjakkut.

I look forward to sharing my journey, learning from other Indigenous and northern entrepreneurs, and being part of conversations about innovation, leadership, and building strong futures in our communities.

Quyanainni to the EntrepreNorth team for the opportunity. See you in Whitehorse! 💜

#EmpoweringInnovationSpirit #EntrepreNorth

Get @reshare_app • @empoweringinnovationspirit To know them is to love them 💜

We’re so excited that entrepreneurs and cohort alumni Sheila Flaherty of Sijjakkut ᓯᔾᔭᒃᑯᑦ, Teri-lee Isaac of Tutchone Tours, and Amanda Baton of Saht’ea Adze Beadwork will be taking the stage and sharing their wisdom at our conference.

Over the years they’ve built strong, innovative businesses in the North that centre cultural wellbeing and care for the land. You won’t want to miss them!

Register today for the Empowering Innovation Spirit Conference - linkinbio

SpeakerAnnouncement EntrepreNorth EmpoweringInnovationSpirit indigenousbusiness north by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

Today is Inuvialuit Day 💜

On June 5, 1984, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed, affirming Inuvialuit rights and our enduring connection to our homelands.

What better day to share photos of an Inuvialuit qajaq that was repatriated from the Vatican in December 2025, after being held there for about 100 years. I’ve been meaning to post about it for some time. Quyanainni to Darrel Nasogaluak for the photos.

Other photos include a banner of my great-grandfather in his qajaq and a photo I quite like, of my late Mom who was born in 1941 in a tent on Banks Island, before Sachs Harbour existed.

I can't help but wonder whether the repatriated qajaq could somehow be connected to my own family. Whether it is or not, its return feels deeply meaningful. It represents the return of history, culture, and stories that belong with our people.

And to think that over a century later, my son Joshua was one of the Inuvialuit who welcomed it back to Canada and helped break the papal seal. There is something beautiful in that.

Happy Inuvialuit Day 💜

#InuvialuitDay #Inuvialuit #IndigenousHistoryMonth by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago

𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Listening to sijjakkut pisuktunga is bringing me back to the very beginnings of sijjakkut—when it was simply an idea.

I remember how excited I was about founding a company rooted in purpose. Built to promote, protect & preserve Inuit culture through my offerings of inuksiutit menus, storytelling, and experiences grounded in who we are as Inuit.

Over the years, that idea has grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined. There have been incredible opportunities, meaningful relationships & moments of pride. There have also been challenges, setbacks, delays & times when the path forward felt uncertain.

sijjakkut is also a celebration of everything my husband, uiga Johnny has taught me over the years. He was raised in Grise Fiord, deeply connected to Inuit traditions, hunting, harvesting & life on the land. My own upbringing was very different. I am the daughter of an Inuvialuk residential school survivor who was raised in Ottawa, far from my Inuvialuit homeland and extended family.

Through him, I have deepened my understanding of Inuit foodways, harvesting. Lessons that could never be learned from a book or a school.

In many ways, sijjakkut represents the coming together of our journeys— united by a shared commitment to honouring Inuit culture and helping ensure it continues to thrive for future generations.

Lately, I've been carrying the weight of many things. Listening to this song reminded me to return to the reason I started.

sijjakkut has never never just about food.

It is about creating space for Inuit culture to be celebrated, shared & experienced. It is about honouring the animals, the land & waters that sustain us, the knowledge passed down by our families & communities, and the responsibility we have to carry those teachings forward.

Today, I am feeling grateful for the journey so far, for all of you who support sijjakkut along the way, and for the reminder that my purpose remains even when the road is long and meandered at times.

Quyanainni for your shared encouragement, and for walking alongside me.

#inuit taken in Iqaluit, Nunavut by @siilaflaherty

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4 months ago