She Spent 25 Years Making Sure Indigenous Stories Got Told Accurately. Now Calgary's Chamber of Commerce Has Taken Notice.
Nicole Robertson founded Muskwa Productions in 2001 because she kept watching Indigenous communities have their stories told by people who didn't understand them. A quarter century later, her Calgary-based Indigenous media company has won the ATB Indigenous Entrepreneurship Award — and she's just getting started.
August 6, 2026 · By Justin Plosz · Calgary, Alberta · Business · 6 min read read
Stories Told Through the Wrong Lens
Nicole Robertson grew up in her mother's Cree community with an early, clear-eyed understanding of a specific injustice: Indigenous peoples rarely got to tell their own stories in the media that reached mainstream Canada.
"At the time, stories about us were told through stereotypical lenses," Robertson says. "Indigenous people had little opportunity to tell their stories in a way that would reach mainstream media and correct misconceptions. That is what inspired me to create Muskwa Productions."
She founded the company in 2001, at a time when Indigenous representation in Canadian media was minimal, when the structural barriers to Indigenous entrepreneurship were even steeper than they are today, and when there was no established template for what an Indigenous communications company even looked like.
The name she chose was deliberate. Muskwa is the Cree word for bear — an animal that symbolizes strength and resilience — and it honours Robertson's maternal family name. "Our Indigenous worldview teaches us to honour our ancestors," she says. "Everything we do is about creating intergenerational wealth, knowledge and resilience — spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally."
Over the following two and a half decades, she built Muskwa Productions into a full-service Indigenous media company: media relations, marketing, cross-cultural communication, film production, journalism, and storytelling — all approached through what Robertson calls an Indigenous lens.
Twenty-Five Years of Getting It Right
Robertson's career has taken her across North America and to the United Kingdom — writing, directing, producing, and reporting on issues that concern Indigenous communities. She has worked with the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business. Her on-air experience spans decades.
The throughline in everything Muskwa Productions does is accuracy. Not accuracy in the narrow journalistic sense, but accuracy that is informed by cultural knowledge, lived experience, and what Robertson describes as a commitment to justice.
"We approach every collaboration through an Indigenous lens — one that is accurate, detailed and informed by cultural knowledge. It is about more than just representation; it is about ensuring that stories are told with respect and authenticity."
She is equally clear about her own role and its limits. "If you are not the best person to tell that story, make sure that you are creating space for those that have that background, history or facts," she says. "These communities should have the tools to tell their stories and also help their nations tell their stories — that is my focus."
At the 2024 Calgary Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week Gala, Robertson received the ATB Indigenous Entrepreneurship Award. When she took the stage, she wore a fox fur — a specific, intentional symbol.
"My grandfather was a trapper and fur trader who contributed to the economic foundation of this country," she said. "When I wore a fox fur at the gala, it was not just an accessory; it was a symbol of our family's legacy and a reminder of the resilience of Indigenous economies."
Not Self-Made. Community Made.
Robertson is deliberate about how she describes her own success. "I am community made, not self-made," she says — because without the support, guidance, and kinship of her relations, Muskwa Productions would not be what it is.
That framing shapes how she thinks about the company's future. Robertson sees Muskwa Productions not just as a storytelling company but as a catalyst for economic growth within Indigenous communities — and she is aware that systemic barriers, including the Indian Act's limits on capital access for businesses on reserves, continue to constrain what's possible.
"Indigenous business is growing faster than non-Indigenous business in Canada, especially because of Indigenous women entrepreneurs," she says. "However, systemic barriers like the Indian Act still limit access to capital for businesses on reserves. That is why organizations like the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association and the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation are vital to fostering growth."
Her vision for Muskwa's next chapter extends beyond Canada. She is actively exploring cross-cultural collaboration with Indigenous communities in the Pacific Islands and with Māori storytellers in New Zealand — a reflection of her conviction that the shared histories and values of Indigenous peoples worldwide represent an untapped foundation for storytelling that no mainstream media organization has yet taken seriously.
Twenty-five years in, the work Robertson set out to do in 2001 is far from finished. But the framework she built for doing it — rigorously, respectfully, and on Indigenous terms — is now recognized as a model worth celebrating.
Key takeaways
- Muskwa Productions was founded in 2001 by Nicole Robertson of Cree and Scottish heritage, motivated by the absence of accurate, respectful Indigenous storytelling in Canadian mainstream media.
- The company name comes from the Cree word for bear — a symbol of strength and resilience that also honours Robertson's maternal family name.
- In 2024, Robertson received the ATB Indigenous Entrepreneurship Award at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week Gala, representing 25 years of Indigenous media and communications work.
- Robertson describes herself as 'community made, not self-made' — the company's approach to every project is rooted in kinship, humility, and the understanding that accurate storytelling requires cultural grounding, not just journalistic access.
- Muskwa Productions has worked with the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, and across North America and the UK.
- Robertson's vision for the company's next chapter includes cross-cultural storytelling collaborations with Pacific Island and Māori communities, and advocacy for systemic change in how Indigenous entrepreneurs access capital.
Frequently asked questions
- Who founded Muskwa Productions in Calgary?
- Muskwa Productions was founded in 2001 by Nicole Robertson, who is of Cree and Scottish heritage and grew up in her mother's Cree community. She founded the company after observing that Indigenous communities were consistently misrepresented in mainstream Canadian media and rarely given the opportunity to tell their own stories.
- What does Muskwa Productions do?
- Muskwa Productions is an Indigenous communications, media relations, marketing, and storytelling company based in Calgary, Alberta. The company specializes in Indigenous-led film production, journalism, cross-cultural communication, and media strategy — all approached through what founder Nicole Robertson calls an Indigenous lens, prioritizing accuracy, cultural authenticity, and community voice.
- What does Muskwa mean?
- Muskwa is the Cree word for bear, an animal that symbolizes strength and resilience. Nicole Robertson chose the name to honour her maternal family name. The bear is also central to the company's visual identity and mission.
- What award did Muskwa Productions win?
- Nicole Robertson received the ATB Indigenous Entrepreneurship Award at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce 41st Annual Small Business Week Gala in 2024. The award recognized her 23-plus years of work amplifying Indigenous narratives through mass media and her contribution to Calgary's entrepreneurial community.
- Has Muskwa Productions worked internationally?
- Yes. Nicole Robertson's career has taken her across North America and to the United Kingdom, writing, directing, producing, and reporting on Indigenous issues. She has worked with national organizations including the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, and is exploring future collaborations with Pacific Islander and Māori communities.
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