In an exclusive interview with Indigenous-SME Business Magazine, Nyden Iron-Nighttraveller, Founder and President of Amarok Scaffolding Ltd., shares the journey behind building a company rooted in determination, discipline, and purpose. From working in the field to leading large-scale industrial projects across Western Canada, this story reflects a clear focus on creating meaningful opportunities within Indigenous communities.
Interview By SK Uddin
Nyden Iron-Nighttraveller, from the Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, SK in Treaty 10 Territory, is an award-winning Indigenous entrepreneur and the Founder and President of Amarok Scaffolding Ltd. What began as a small startup built through persistence, industry experience, and determination has grown into a reputable company serving major industrial projects while employing a workforce that is predominantly Indigenous.
Under Nyden’s leadership, Amarok Scaffolding has experienced rapid growth and industry recognition. The company has expanded its services across Western Canada while maintaining a workforce that reflects its mission of Indigenous empowerment and community impact. This entrepreneurial success has also led to national recognition. Nyden was named the National Young Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year (2024) by the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) and has received multiple nominations for prestigious entrepreneurship awards across Canada.
You built Amarok Scaffolding after years on the tools as a scaffolder, while simultaneously completing your business education. What moment or insight convinced you to move from employee to founding your own Indigenous-owned scaffolding company?
Reflecting back on my younger years, I’ve realized I was always entrepreneurial. I wanted to build something of my own and be in control of my outcome – whether that meant success or failure. I’ve always been drawn to challenges and defying the odds. When you hear that startup failure rates can be as high as 90%, it didn’t discourage me, it motivated me to prove that wrong. There are barriers every entrepreneur faces, and even more so for Indigenous entrepreneurs. The system hasn’t always been designed for us to succeed, but that’s exactly why it’s important that we do. Amarok was first envisioned in a work truck while I was employed with another company, and I brought it to life shortly after completing my Bachelor of Commerce.
My first venture was Amarok Apparel, which gained strong momentum and was carried in multiple retail locations. We even moved into manufacturing to differentiate ourselves. But over time, I lost my passion for apparel. With a mix of personal ambition, wanting to apply my education, and the responsibility of providing for my family, I took a leap into scaffolding.
The mindset was simple – why not? Even working for an Indigenous-owned company at the time, I believed there was room for more. Amarok Scaffolding was built from that belief.
Amarok is 100% Indigenous owned and operated, with a strong focus on creating quality jobs and skills development for Indigenous workers in Alberta and Saskatchewan. How do you design your hiring, training, and site culture so that it reflects Indigenous values and supports long-term careers, not just short-term contracts?
That’s a great question, and the honest answer is that there’s no perfect formula. People bring different personalities, perspectives, and experiences, so building strong teams is an ongoing effort. In our industry, it can be especially tough; projects end, crews move on, and that continuity you’ve built can disappear overnight. It’s the reality of working in a seasonal, project-to-project environment like ours.
As an Indigenous-owned company, we’re intentional about creating opportunity. We aim to maintain an 80-90% Indigenous workforce while remaining inclusive to all backgrounds. We invest heavily in development, training on the job and supporting apprentices through scaffold programs in Alberta and Saskatchewan as they progress. We’re also working toward a structured pre-employment and apprenticeship program, including administrative training for those looking to transition into office roles.
We recognize the barriers many Indigenous people face, and we try to provide not just jobs, but a support system. Work is important, but seeing people grow, gain confidence, and succeed in life is the real goal. Even if someone’s time with Amarok is short, we want it to have lasting value.
While temporary layoffs can happen, our long-term goal is securing multi-year maintenance contracts to provide stability, continuity, and sustained career growth.
You’ve been recognized with honours like the National Young Indigenous Entrepreneur Award and have completed an Indigenous Business Leadership – Executive MBA while running a growing company and raising a family. How have these experiences changed your leadership style and your vision for what Amarok can become?
Building Amarok while completing an Executive MBA and raising a family forced me to lead with discipline, clarity, and purpose. Early on, I was focused on survival and growth. Now, I lead with intention, every decision ties back to longterm sustainability, our people, and the legacy we’re building.
My family is my foundation. They’re the reason I push through the tough days and the reason I’ve learned that success isn’t just measured in revenue, but in presence, balance, and impact. That perspective has made me a more grounded and accountable leader.
Being recognized at a National level reinforced that what we’re doing matters, not just for Amarok, but for Indigenous entrepreneurship as a whole. It’s bigger than business. It’s about showing what’s possible. I want Indigenous youth to see that you can build, lead, and compete at the highest levels without losing who you are.
My vision for Amarok has evolved from building a company to building a platform; one that creates opportunities, develops leaders, and leaves a lasting impact in our industry and communities. This is about legacy. Not just what we build, but who we build up along the way.
Amarok competes in a tough, safety‑critical industry alongside larger, established players. What do you see as Amarok’s biggest competitive advantages, and how does being Indigenous-owned shape the way you work with clients and project partners?
Initially, it was intimidating competing against large, world-renowned scaffolding companies and walking into those first client meetings. But once that passed, I gained clarity on what clients truly needed, how our competitors operated, and where Amarok could stand out. The timing was right to disrupt the region, even though winning those first contracts was an uphill battle. At one point, we found ourselves competing against another Indigenous business, which felt counterproductive. I was reminded, though, that there are far more non-Indigenous companies competing for the same work-there’s no reason Indigenous businesses should be limited. There is room for all of us, and that mindset needs to continue evolving.
Over time, I’ve also learned to be cautious with partnerships. Many joint ventures can be exploitative, with non-Indigenous companies leveraging Indigenous participation for scoring advantages in bids without delivering real value. While industry has made meaningful progress in Indigenous engagement, there are still cases of “rent-a-feather” approaches. It’s important to call that out.
Amarok has experienced this firsthand, even being treated as a secondary partner in some arrangements. Moving forward, we will prioritize partnerships with Indigenous economic development entities to build integrated, multi-solution offerings that genuinely strengthen Indigenous participation, capacity, and long-term impact in industry.
Looking ahead, you’ve spoken about wanting Amarok to be one of the largest Indigenous-owned scaffolding companies in Canada and to give back through philanthropy and community projects. What does “success” look like to you in the next 5–10 years, for both your business and the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs watching your journey?
Success to me is knowing the business can run without my constant input-that Amarok operates with strong leadership, clear systems, and a team that shows up every day working safely while contributing to Indigenous, municipal, provincial, and federal economies. Real success is building something bigger than myself. It’s about developing responsible, hardworking, and successful Indigenous people who carry that forward into their own lives and communities.
Over the next five to ten years, I see Amarok becoming a top contender as one of the largest Indigenous-owned and operated scaffolding companies in Western Canada. Beyond growth, the goal is to establish meaningful, long-term partnerships with Indigenous Nations across the country, creating real capacity and shared opportunity.
Everyone who comes through Amarok is on their own path, whether short-term or a lifelong career. If we can play even a small role in their journey to success, that’s meaningful to me.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, stay grounded in your “why.” There will be setbacks, pivots, and risk. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, and failure is always possible-but it’s also a powerful teacher. Learn from it, adapt, and keep moving forward with purpose and vision.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Indigenous SME Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
