01 — People
People & Capacity
Strategy starts with people. Education, workforce, and the relationships that make a project hold after the announcement.
Schedule a discovery callWasauksing First Nation · Robinson Huron Treaty 1850
Jesse Steckley
Economic Reconciliation Strategist
Independent economic reconciliation consulting for Indigenous communities and allies — the full file, not a single program type.
The Indigenous Education Awards are administered by the Business Council of Manitoba. I helped BCM lead the program’s growth across Manitoba.
01 — Approach
Wealth medicine in practice.
Real progress happens when Indigenous communities and allies move people, land, and systems together — for wellbeing that lasts more than one funding cycle.
02 — Land
Systems that last
Land, infrastructure, and tools only pay off when they serve community priorities — and allies who will do the work properly.
Schedule a discovery call
03 — Capital · Founder & Principal
Waaseyak
I founded Waaseyak and serve as Principal. It is an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led consulting firm that provides Indigenous communities, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit with extra capacity and scalable economic solutions to build lasting community prosperity.
Get in touch02 — About
The work
behind the work
Jesse Steckley (Aubdauban — New Dawn / Forever Light) is a member of Wasauksing First Nation through the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. Raised in Barrie, Ontario, he is the son of Jeff Steckley of Midhurst and Tracey Pawis (Boshdayosgaykwe) of Wasauksing, founder of G’zaagin Art Gallery. His family roots include the Tabobondung and Pawis families of Wasauksing—among them his grandmother Audrey Gladys Pawis (PamajewonKwe), a long-time Community Health Representative who helped shape health and social programs in Wasauksing for more than twenty-five years; her husband Lorne Frederick Pawis, who served in the military; and Audrey’s father, Alfred Edward Waubgeshig Tabobondung, a former chief. On his father’s side, he comes from the Steckley family of Barrie, including his grandparents Keith Steckley and Annshiela Francis Young. His brother, Josh Pawis-Steckley (Mangeshig), is a nationally recognized Indigenous children’s book illustrator.
After beginning in the trades, Jesse completed the Aboriginal Community and Social Development diploma at Georgian College and studied Indigenous Studies with a Business Administration minor at Trent University. He later trained in web development at Juno College of Technology — enough to build when asked, not a second career in code.
Jesse is best known for growing Manitoba’s largest Indigenous student awards program from 100 awards valued at $300,000 to 530 awards and $1.6 million in support. He has also contributed to Indigenous procurement initiatives with the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and takes on the full range of economic reconciliation work with Indigenous communities and allies. In 2025, he was named to CBC Manitoba’s Future 40 for leadership in economic reconciliation.
Jesse works with Indigenous communities and allies on the full economic reconciliation file. He founded Waaseyak, an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led consulting firm that provides Indigenous communities, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit with extra capacity and scalable economic solutions to build lasting community prosperity. He is the husband of Nicola Little, Artist & Cultural Connector from Garden Hill First Nation (Treaty 5), who has more than 15 years in the arts and cultural sector, and the father of Charlie and Zaagaasgeh Lucy. He lives in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory.
This site is a simple point of contact. If you are an Indigenous community or an ally working on economic reconciliation — I’d welcome the conversation.
03 — Impact
Selected impact
Markers of the work so far — not the whole mandate. Economic reconciliation is broader than any one program.
Future 40
CBC Manitoba · 2025
Recognized among Manitoba’s top young leaders for contributions to economic reconciliation through education and employment programming.
Workforce
BCM · Indigenous Education Awards
The Indigenous Education Awards are administered by the Business Council of Manitoba. I helped BCM lead the program’s growth across Manitoba — from 100 awards ($300,000) to 530 awards and $1.6M in annual student support.
Procurement
CCIB · Supply Change
Contributed to early work on Indigenous procurement approaches aimed at increasing meaningful economic participation and business opportunity.
GitHub
— contributions in 2026 · I still write the tools
Strategy first — and I can sit in the stack. I use AI and a Juno web-dev base to ship sites and tools when asked. Larger builds, I bring a team and stay until the work meets the community’s standard.
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04 — FAQ
Common questions
Who is Jesse Steckley?+
Jesse Steckley (Aubdauban — New Dawn / Forever Light) is a member of Wasauksing First Nation and an Economic Reconciliation Strategist. He lives in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory.
What is an Economic Reconciliation Strategist?+
Independent advisory for Indigenous communities and allies: set the path, stay close to implementation, and take on the full file — people, systems, land, capital, or whatever the work requires. Not a single program type.
Who do you work with?+
Indigenous communities — First Nations, Métis, and Inuit — and allies: companies, institutions, funders, and public partners who want to do the work well.
How do we start?+
Book a 30-minute Google Meet discovery call from this site. Bring the file as it is. If you are not ready to pick a time, email [email protected].
What is Waaseyak?+
Waaseyak is an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led consulting firm that provides Indigenous communities, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit with extra capacity and scalable economic solutions to build lasting community prosperity. Jesse founded the firm and serves as Principal.
Do you build websites or apps?+
Yes, when they serve Indigenous communities or allied partners. Jesse trained in web development at Juno College of Technology and uses AI to help design, build, and launch. Smaller projects can be built directly; larger ones are scoped so a team can stay until the work meets the community’s standard.
05 — Contact
Let’s talk
I look forward to talking with like-minded people who want to contribute to reconciliation — moving Indigenous communities forward, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, and Canada with them.