The program is proud to announce that James Bérubé is one of the two 2022 recipients of the 50 000$ EMBA Scholarship for Managers of Indigenous Origin.

James Bérubé, from the Naskapi nation, is the Acting General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc., a role he took on in January 2022. Tshiuetin is the first railroad in North America to be owned and operated by a group of First Nations. To ensure the long-term economic and social development of their communities, the First Nations of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, Matimekush-Lac John and Kawawachikamach created Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc, to operate a railway service between Emeril Junction in Labrador and the Town of Schefferville in Quebec.

While still learning the ins and outs of his new role, James, who has worked for Tshiuetin Rail Transportation since 2008 in a variety of roles both in the field and in operations, decided to embark on the EMBA adventure:

“I am in need of strengthening my strategic skills, to gain further confidence in business practices, which in turn will help me lead the company I am now responsible for into the future.  I continue to strive for constant improvement in collaboration with my management team.”

James is a family man, proud father of two children and he will travel from Maliotenam in Northern Quebec to Montreal to attend his EMBA classes each month.

“I reside in the Innu community of Maliotenam situated 15 kms from Sept-Îles. I have been living there with my family for the past 20 years. I travel regularly to Schefferville for work reasons because a large part of Tshiuetin’s operations are located there. This also gives me the chance to visit my family and community on a regular basis, and, most importantly, it helps me in connecting and integrating with our employees in Schefferville who are key to our operations.

Through the program, James will be able to develop the tools essential for his professional development as a leader; he also looks forward to sharing his professional and personal experience with others in the program. His classmates will be able to count on a passionate and determined teammate:

“I have always been eager to learn and understand others and their ways of thinking and coming to solutions. I have always been a team player and believe that important decisions and strategies moving forward must be made together as a team in order to come to the right decision.”

Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach

The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach is located 16 km northeast of the Town of Schefferville on the Québec-Labrador border, and has a population of approximately 1,056 registered members.

The village itself is situated on 16 square miles of Category IA-N land and covers an area of approximately 40 acres. There is ample room for expansion, whether for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes.

The vast majority of the residents of Kawawachikamach are Naskapi. Naskapi is the principal language, and it is spoken by all Naskapis and written by many. English is the second language, although many persons also speak some French.

The Naskapis still preserve many aspects of their traditional way of life and culture. Like many northern communities, the Naskapis rely on subsistence hunting, fishing, and trapping for a large part of their food supply, and for many raw materials. Harvesting is at the heart of Naskapi spirituality.

Source: Naskapi.ca