This report identifies a Cluster Model as a framework for successfully engaging, supporting and
guiding Aboriginal women and other marginalized women towards self-employment and/or leading and
participating in business enterprises.
"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.
"I suggest that geographical isolation segregates individuals and communities from linking and bridging networks; reliance on bonding networks in such locales often results in limited access to financial and human resources. In places where networks extend beyond the community, larger pools of resources are accessed. The dissertation highlights, however, the potential detrimental role that such external networks can play in the family lives of marginal communities.
"This paper focuses on the interaction between social capital and entrepreneurship in Aboriginal communities in Canada. Using statistical and interview data from three First Nations communities in northern Ontario, I examine if and how bonding networks turn into tangible resources for business development. The paper also highlights ways in which community relationships hinder entrepreneurship and turn into barriers to economic development.
