In this essay, I position Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) as central to decolonizing theory and praxis in relation to education and economic or social development in Aboriginal communities. While there are many local and national examples of good work in this regard, as witnessed in RCAP, I also draw attention to the work of postcolonial thinkers and especially the Maori of New Zealand - their resistance, conscientization, and theory-making - to inspire and to give new, high validity language for the development agenda in Aboriginal communities in Canada.
It was decided that an interview be conducted with Casino-Rama Director of First Nations Affairs, Kevin Wassegijig, who spoke with the Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development regarding the success of Casino-Rama while outlining some of the challenges casino manage- ment must deal with in upcoming years. Aboriginal gaming in Canada is a recent development, and the success of Casino-Rama has come as a pleasant surprise to many. At the same time, however, the success of Casino-Rama has generated concerns that have unwittingly resulted from their own success.
More than 500 people attended the Tribal Governance Symposium: Compacts, Contracts and Agreements which has held in March, 2001 at the University of Oklahoma. The main topic was gaming and speakers from across the states addressed issues ranging from jurisdiction to testimonials from groups involved in gaming in the state of Oklahoma. I would like to share the perspectives of one of the presenters, Kevin Gover. The rest of the relevant American material is covered extensively across the articles from Lessons of Research in this issue.
My purpose in writing this chapter is to reiterate briefly the overall thrust of the commission's work and to comment on the impact the report appears to be having after two years in the pub- lic domain. I would be presumptuous to claim that these few pages could provide a balanced synopsis of the five volumes and 3500 pages of the commission's report. My comments represent a perspective, much of it grounded in the words of the commission itself that is highly selective in emphasis.
Are Native peoples jumping on the gaming bandwagon without really considering the ulti- mate consequences to their communities? What of the rights of other communities that might be directly or indirectly affected by the decisions that we make today? Do we have the right to jeopardize the continued existence of other com- munities? Gaming compacts are complex and very difficult concepts for many people accept.
This paper reviews the purpose, vision, and contents of the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, while exploring its potential impacts, economic and otherwise, on Aborignal peoples.
The Collaborative Program in Community Development provides students with a multidisciplinary graduate education in community development. Community development involves working with community members and groups to effect positive change in the social, economic, organizational, or physical structures of a community that improve both the welfare of community members and the community’s ability to direct its future.
The Community Studies Program is a two-year diploma program which prepares students for diverse roles in human service/community-based organizations. More specifically, the program focuses on leadership and other career-related skills required to work in a wide variety of human services. These services may range from one-on-one support to positions which involve coordination and facilitation of groups or communities. The courses are fast-paced and dynamic, and are founded on the tenets of experiential learning and direct involvement with individuals, families and communities.
