Enterprise

The Investment Readiness Program

"Aboriginal leaders are determined to make their communities self-reliant by reducing their high unemployment and their dependence on government. They are doing that by creating wealth and employment through community-owned enterprises. Using case studies, Creating Wealth and Employment in Aboriginal Communities discusses six key factors that contribute to the success of Aboriginal community-owned enterprises."

"This paper uses survey information to examine several common assertions about the institutional prerequisites for successful profitability when a First Nation enters an economic enterprise either independently or in joint effort with an outside firm. In the winter of 2004-2005, we interviewed managers on both the First Nations and private sides of joint ventures and other business alliances in Canada, to determine what affected their recent profitability experience. We gathered information on the ages, sizes, and activities of the firms.

Article describes how economic participation must be on their own terms and for their own purposes. Also, traditional lands, history, culture and values all play a critical role in economic development. In order to attempt to compete in the global economy on their own terms, Indigenous people are using all types of partnerships, both among themselves and with non-Indigenous enterprises. A case study of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is used as they are recognized as one of the leaders in economic development in Canada.

"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."

"The purpose of this research is to examine Gitga'at First Nation approaches and objectives concerning the use of local biological and cultural resources through the lens of a locally-driven proposal to establish an eco-cultural tourism enterprise. [...] This research may be beneficial to other communities interested in eco-cultural tourism development or other development activities dependent on local resources use."

"This study examines the historical development of corporate governance structures in First Nations communities in British Columbia, where development corporations are employed to assist privately-owned and community-owned entrepreneurial enterprises. First Nations entrepreneurial activity functions in an environment where business must market to a global economy while preserving traditional values, beliefs and other cultural elements. A brief history of First Nations and their enterprise development efforts is presented.

"Founded by Professors Stephen Cornell and Joseph P. Kalt at Harvard University in 1987, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development (The Harvard Project) aims to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined, social and economic development may be achieved among American Indian nations. The project has become something of a benchmark for current discussion of First Nations economic development.

"The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of the current study of indigenous entrepreneurship. First, while there is broad agreement on the application of the term “indigenous,” there are differences of emphasis and outright controversies about empirical description of indigenous people, especially concerning the role of ownership and private property in their culture and traditions.Second, the concept of entrepreneurship is as controversial in this field as elsewhere in management studies.

Established in 1987, the Sagewood Award was created to encourage entrepreneurship. This annual award of $2000 is designed to encourage entrepreneurship among Bachelor of Commerce students who have completed at least two full years. Its intent is to fund a business start-up and selection will be based on the assessed viability of the student's proposed business, demonstrated commitment and the ability to execute.