Presenter : Hajar Haddouch

 - Manager of FabLabs Autochtones

Institution : First Peoples Innovation Centre 

The First Peoples Innovation Centre (FPIC) established the first Indigenous FabLab in Canada in 2018. A FabLab is a space that offers Indigenous youth the chance to explore different avenues of creation and digital fabrication culturally adapted to Indigenous values.

FabLab Onaki offers a six-month training course, including a two-month work placement. The participants, Natives individuals aged 15–30 years old, take part in several activities combining cultural and digital aspects. Since its introduction in 2018, several hundred students have been trained. A 10-week nomad FabLab is offered for remote communities.

The team of instructors, most of whom are former Indigenous participants, train participants in the use of tools so that they can design and make a variety of objects to express their creativity, showcase their potential or meet a need in their community.