Culture

“This paper investigates the potential of non-market valuation tools such as contingent valuation, to value Matauranga Maori.”

"This report analyzes data submitted by Canadian companies between 2001 and 2008 as a part of the Progressive Aboriginal Relations program (PAR) – a benchmarking tool developed by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). PAR was designed to help Canadian business organizations gauge and improve their commitment to progressive relationships with First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities, businesses and people. To date, a total of 38 companies – representing diverse sectors and geographic locations – have undertaken the PAR process.

"The second in a series of three, this report surveys data submitted by 38 companies participating in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program offered by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and representing various industries operating in Canada between 2001 and 2009.

This document investigates if the Harvard findings can be applied to the urban Aboriginal community in Canada.

"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.

"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."

"As the Information Age transforms Canadian society, Aboriginal Canadians can not risk being left behind. According to this report, information and communications technologies (ICT) "offer critical opportunities to strengthen Aboriginal cultural identities, promote sustainable community development and achieve greater self-reliance." These national recommendations reveal a critical opportunity for Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples to leapfrog into the Information Age."

"This paper will focus on the human resources challenges that face First Nations communities and their governments in rebuilding their capacity for good governance and in meeting their sovereign obligations. The vision that First Nations people see where they are self-sufficient, autonomous and significant contributors to society requires a paradigm shift for the federal government in its Indian policy.

"The Coast Salish Gathering provides an environmental policy platform for the tribal and First Nations governments, state and provincial governments, and the US and Canadian federal governments—all of which have interests in the Salish Sea region—to discuss and determine effective environmental strategies and practices. Most important for the Coast Salish people, however, it amplifies their voice on the environmental issues that matter most to them: access to toxin-free traditional foods, adequate water quality and quantity, and collective climate change policies."