Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development
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Book Review: Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants and The serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world
No full textKimmerer’s books embed two-eyed seeing by incorporating lessons from Western science and Indigenous knowledge. In both books, Kimmerer explores the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world to reflect on modern economic life and an ethical way of being. She weaves together her personal experiences, knowledge of plants as a botanist, and traditional teachings as a Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation to advocate for a more sustainable and respectful relationship with the environment in a way that may also transform the economy. Kimmerer uses storytelling and personal reflection to bridge knowledge systems and generate her arguments. The economic themes are most prevalent in the latter half of Braiding Sweetgrass and at the heart of Serviceberry. She argues that the modern operation of the economy is built on a principle of scarcity rather than reciprocity. Reciprocity, which she observes everywhere in thriving ecosystems, along with focusing locally, she argues, may be key to making choices for a more sustainable economic future
CEPI’s Journey to Collaboration
No full textThe Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative (CEPI) is a one-of-a-kind organization in Unama’ki-Cape Breton. Fittingly, it was brought together through the vision and dedication of Charlie Dennis who was searching for a way to turn around the ecological health of the Bras d’Or Lakes or Pitupaq in Mi’kmaq, an inland estuary in the heart of Cape Breton. This essay will describe the events leading to the founding of CEPI and outline its first seven years of growth as it struggled with its identity. 
Envisioning Community Economic Development Through an Indigenous-Led Social Enterprise in Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories
No full textThe Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, in Kakisa, Northwest Territories, is cultivating food to strengthen their food systems against multifaceted threats posed by colonization, climate change, and socioeconomic disparities. Community efforts to grow food are new and stand as an adaptation response to their changing food system. Although establishing food-growing initiatives has been a gradual process, their success is now evident with substantial quantities of food being produced. This research addresses the need for a sustainable food distribution model in Kakisa to ensure food is accessible to the community. Using a participatory action research approach, community members shared their vision, leading to the exploration of an Indigenous-led economic model merging Western approaches with Indigenous values. Kakisa’s enterprise will support food distribution systems, including a store, and act as a space to host social gatherings, facilitate Traditional Knowledge workshops, and share food. The community’s vision of an Indigenous-led social enterprise embodies a holistic approach to economic development that emphasizes social bonding and community well-being over pure economic activities. Accomplishing this vision requires continuous efforts toward fostering collaboration, nurturing cultural resurgence, and empowering Indigenous leadership within economic development.
Land, Language, and Leadership: Two-Eyed Seeing in British Columbia’s Natural Resource Management
No full text Indigenous law and governance systems across British Columbia have experienced tremendous hardship and transformation since first contact. Colonial systems have stifled Indigenous cultural governance structures, compromising Indigenous communities’ centuries-old methods of sustainable land and resource management through stewardship. Despite the acknowledged importance of Indigenous stewardship in natural resource management initiatives, land-based decision making within British Columbia continues to design and implement processes and mechanisms that stifle Indigenous law and governance and misrepresent Indigenous values.
This article uses document analysis of 123 forestry-centric government-to-government Forest Consultation and Revenue Sharing Agreements within British Columbia to explore how Two-Eyed Seeing manifests through the opportunity to uphold Indigenous law and governance in these agreements. Focusing on the use of Indigenous language, cultural values, and hereditary leadership, nine of the agreements studied showed signs of Indigenous law and governance in their terms. These findings highlight the need for a path forward that is inclusive and empowers Indigenous law and governance in natural resource decision making to ensure enhanced stewardship opportunities for future generations
The Economic Benefits of a Major Canadian Forestry Contribution Program for Indigenous Peoples
No full textThis paper evaluates whether the First Nations Forestry Program (FNFP), a contribution program for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, had a statistically measurable effect on the well-being of participating reserves’ inhabitants. Funding data from 1,078 projects was paired with reserve inhabitant profiles from two Statistics Canada censuses. Multiple regression models were then used to test for the statistical significance of project-funding treatments. The results suggest that from 2006 to 2010, the FNFP significantly affected the after-tax incomes of reserve inhabitants who had worked in forestry, as well as a lesser effect on the after-tax incomes of reserve families
Indigenous Economics: Sustaining Peoples and Their Lands by Ronald L. Trosper. Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press. 2022. 218pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-3345.
No full textWill submit abstract later if necessary
Norway House Cree Nation reaping successes under Chief\u27s leadership
No full textStory on Norway House Cree Nation under Chief Larson Anderson\u27s leadershi