Economic Development

"The first section of this chapter provides a description of the socioeconomic circumstances of Aboriginal people in Canada and the approach to improving these circumstances that began to emerge among them during the closing decades of the 20th Century. As that material shows, entrepreneurship has played a key role in the approach, and it will continue to do so. The second and third sections of the paper examine this approach in more depth.

"Indigenous people are struggling to reassert their nationhood within the post-colonial states in which they find themselves. Claims to their traditional lands and the right to use the resources of these lands are central to their drive to nationhood. Traditional lands are the ‘place’ of the nation and are inseparable from the people, their culture, and their identity as a nation.

"This paper explores economic development and entrepreneurship in an Aboriginal context. The paper begins with an overview of the socioeconomic circumstances of the Aboriginal people in Canada. It then goes on to consider the approach that Aboriginal people have developed to address these circumstances and the outcomes they have achieved. Throughout, the emphasis is on the role of entrepreneurship and land claims/treaty rights in the development process."

"Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Indigenous peoples around the world are becoming increasingly active in economic development activities. To find a place in the new global economy, competitive business venture creations are emerging at the regional, national, and international level. This book explores economic development in order to achieve a greater understanding of this process."

"These comments express concerns of First Nations about their status in the economy, society and polity of Canada. Status may refer to a number of things: particular cultures or lifestyles; entitlement to or enjoyment of rights, privileges, legal capacities or powers granted by the state; or the awarding or denial of social honour or prestige. All three have been prominent in the North American Aboriginal experience."

"The article consists of three sections. The first section discusses definitions and contemporary significance of subsistence and indigenous economies. It questions the prevailing narrow, economistic analyses and interpretations of subsistence. Although economic development projects such as resource extraction may improve fiscal independence and strengthen the economic base of indigenous communities, they also present serious threats to indigenous economies. The second section examines the relationship between subsistence and wage labor, particularly from the perspective of women.

"This book traces and analyses the recent evolution in thinking about the development of aboriginal people's communities. Since 1969, aboriginal people have set three goals for the future -- economic self-reliance, self-government, and cultural autonomy. Examples discussed in this book illustrate the central issues in economic, political and cultural development, how aboriginal people view those issues, and how they have set about solving development problems.

"This report provides evidence that Aboriginal women and other marginalized women can be supported more fully to participate, lead and grow self-employment initiatives and entrepreneurial enterprises in Canada."

"Indian” policy in Canada has been historically based on the objective of assimilating the Indigenous population. There has been recent movement to create policies that support First Nations’ self-governance, yet, the Indian Act and its related policies have not been amended to reflect this change. Thus federal policy now hovers between the two conflicting objectives. The result is chronic poverty in First Nations, a worsening problem that has stymied federal policymakers."

"Over the past decade, there have been various culture-related entrepreneurship studies. With limited exception, little culture-related research has been undertaken into entrepreneurial attitude. Most entrepreneurial attitude research has focused on western oriented, non-Indigenous entrepreneurs though at least one study investigated the entrepreneurial attitudes of Indigenous entrepreneurs. Culture is important to Indigenous people and they have strong feelings toward their self-determination, their land, and their heritage.