"This paper is intended to guide network discussions by identifying an initial set of issues which arise from the academic literature on urban Aboriginal communities. The paper is organized around a series of contexts that confront those as they work to develop their economies, participate in the wage economy, and develop a business sector. These include the socio-demographic context, the jurisdictional context, the policy context, the institutional context and the program context.
"This paper addresses the challenges and opportunities urban environments represent for urban Aboriginal economic development. About one quarter of reserves are located within or contiguous to the boundaries of urban areas. Reserve residents experience different legal regimes and government structures than most urban Aboriginal residents, and they are not the focus here. Instead, the focus is on urban Aboriginal people living off reserves in urban areas. The paper begins with some background material that presents the framework for organizing the analysis.
"In October of 2008, the National Network for Urban Aboriginal Economic Development held a National Gathering to identify the next steps in the development of the Network. One critical issue identified in those discussions was the need to ensure a dedicated focus on Aboriginal women in urban areas. The participants recognized that Aboriginal women face particular barriers in becoming active members of the workforce, and in starting up and sustaining business enterprises. Members of the Network identified two key points.
"In this inaugural applied research forum we addressed the questions: What is the current state of research in Aboriginal economic and business development? What are the best practices in Aboriginal economic and business development in Canada and the United States? How can we move these research findings into the implementation phase and achieve change for the Aboriginal community? This document reports the results of a two-day meeting of 28 participants from across Canada and the United States involved in the academy, First Nations, government and business sectors."
"To bring together industry leaders and Aboriginal organizations to share best practices in partnership building and promote further engagement from both communities, the Public Policy Forum organized a national workshop at The Westin in Ottawa on June 4, 2009, with a private reception the evening before.
"The purpose of this paper is to highlight background information on the opportunities and challenges associated with Aboriginal participation in major resource development. The focus is on major resource projects in energy (oil, gas and hydro) and mining sectors in Canada.
"This national roundtable series convened leaders from Canada’s natural resources sector, Aboriginal communities and the public sector. The themes and issues discussed are summarized in the attached documents. A number of key themes were reflected in the dialogue, including: Labour Market Development; Community Readiness; Financing and Financial Literacy; Partnerships and Collaboration; Measurements of Success; Best Practices and Case Studies."
"As the digital age continues to change Canada's social, political, and economic landscapes, Aboriginal peoples are responding. Having resisted overt assimilation and initiating a process of restoring identity, Aboriginal cultures face new challenges, such as the pervasive reality of information and communications technologies (ICT). These new technologies, especially the Internet, hold promise for Aboriginal nations. If used effectively and harnessed appropriately, ICT can be a valuable tool to propel forward their process of cultural renewal."
