Innu capacity building in the Atlantic Canadian fishery: community revitalization through renewable resource development [Memorial University, MUN]

"Economic development is believed critical to improving quality of life in the Innu communities of Sheshatshiu and Utshimassit, where substance abuse, low literacy rates, and living conditions far below national standards persist. The establishment of Innu Development Limited Partnership in 1998 was a decisive move by the Innu to generate business ventures. An impact benefit agreement associated with the Voisey Bay mine project and compensation from a land claim settlement will result in needed resources and business opportunities for the Innu. Despite these positive developments, the Innu see the fishery figuring heavily in community renewal because of its compatibility with the Innu lifestyle. As the Innu enter the contemporary fishing scene they will encounter a convoluted and complex fishery management process, which, until recent Supreme Court of Canada rulings, tended to marginalize Canadian aboriginal groups. This paper offers a historical and contemporary account of Innu participation in the fishery, an analysis of management and policy issues, and cultural considerations that are germane to Innu Nation and government efforts to bring about community revitalization through aboriginal capacity development in the fishery."