September 2007 index

Expanded casino to boost remote First Nations

Prime networking opportunity

Promoting the economic contributions of Aboriginal women

Expanded casino to boost remote First Nations

The South Beach Casino will be expanded to meet current demand and further strengthen economic opportunities for First Nations including remote communities in northern regions of the province, Attorney General Dave Chomiak, minister responsible for the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission, Ron Evans, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, and Furlon Barker, chair of South Beach Casino Inc., announced August 17th.

“South Beach Casino employs 170 Manitobans, 60 per cent of whom are Aboriginal,” Chomiak said. “An expanded facility will create new employment opportunities for First Nations and provide additional economic benefits to Aboriginal communities across the province.”

As part of the expansion plan, South Beach Casino will voluntarily become smoke-free. The expansion project will increase the number of gaming devices at South Beach to 600 from the current 300.

“South Beach Casino shares the province’s commitment to protecting Manitobans’ health while growing economic benefits and opportunities for First Nations people,” said Barker. “The casino profits received by the owner communities will help ensure a brighter future and higher standard of living for our members.”

The bustling South Beach casino, located north of Winnipeg on Highway 59 on the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Reserve, has proven a popular and profitable entertainment destination since its opening in the spring of 2005. First Nations are already benefiting from earnings, employment and spinoff business opportunities generated by the casino. These benefits are expected to grow once South Beach completes construction of its planned new resort and conference centre, expected in fall 2008.

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Prime networking opportunity

The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) will be hosting its 14th Annual National Conference and AGM on October 22nd - 25th, 2007 in Kamloops, BC. This year’s Conference will be hosted by the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations (CFDC of CIFN) and Kamloops Indian Band. The conference will feature speakers from across the country who will discuss topics such as 2010 Olympics, Building for Success, Traditional Economies, Best Practices and Lessons from Research.

While the learning opportunities are apparent, one of the real strengths of the CANDO conference is that it is a prime networking opportunity for those attending. From the moment you walk in the door at the Best Western Kamloops, you will be surrounded by others who are involved in Aboriginal Community Economic Development.

With activities such as the Trade Show, Artisan Show & Sale, Making a Difference Panel, 3rd Annual National Youth Panel, 5th Annual NIEEF Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Community Cultural Event and President’s Reception, Dinner and Dance, you will have more than enough time to get to know a variety of individuals who are all working toward the same goal. Just be sure to bring enough business cards!

This year’s Conference highlights:

• The 5th Annual NIEEF Golf Tournament promises to be a great event – it will be held at the beautiful Sun Rivers Golf Resort Community, located just five minutes from Kamloops BC’s Interior – the breathtaking course was crowned Best New Course in Western Canada in 2003 by “Golf Digest”. The Golf Tournament is a fundraiser for the National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation (NIEEF). Your support of this worthwhile cause is greatly appreciated – just make sure to register early as space is limited to 144 players and is based on a first come- first served basis.
• This year’s Icebreaker will be held at the BC Wildlife Park – one of the "must see" attractions in British Columbia. Join us for an evening of socializing and networking accompanied by great food and entertainment.
• Community tour to the Kamloops Indian Band will be followed by the Annual General Meeting at the Skeetchestn Indian Band.
• The 3rd Annual National Youth Panel will feature six inspiring Aboriginal youth from across Canada who will reveal how they are each making a difference through their talents and successes, as well as share their challenges, strengths and support that they have received while working for the betterment of their community.
• Kamloops Indian Band will host this year’s Cultural Event: Rodeo & BBQ at Mt. Paul Centre.
• Finally, there is the Annual President’s Reception, Dinner & Dance where leading Economic Development Officers (EDOs) and organizations are honoured for their commitment and contributions to Aboriginal community economic development.
  

The CANDO conference is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal Community Economic Development and speak with the people directly involved in improving the economic viability of Canada’s Aboriginal communities.

To learn more about the upcoming conference or to register, please visit www.edo.ca.

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Promoting the economic contributions of Aboriginal women

The mission of this newspaper, Native Journal, is to publish success stories about Aboriginal Canada and is never short on material. Mainstream media, however, rarely report these success stories.

A study released August 22nd by the Insitute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP), confirms that there have been a number of under-reported success stories, notably in the field of women’s community economic development (CED).

In this study, Isobel Findlay (University of Saskatchewan) and Wanda Wuttunee (University of Manitoba) explore innovations in Aboriginal women’s community economic development in Canada. Their research centres on women’s roles in three case studies of successful businesses: Great Bear Co-op (Déline, NWT), Neechi Foods Co-operative (Winnipeg) and ET Development (northern Manitoba).

Each case suggests that Aboriginal women find inspiration for their business objectives in and measure their success by the values of their culture. 

 According to the authors, current approaches to measuring the impact of CED policies are too focused on quantitative measurement and undervalue the full range of women’s contributions. The study focuses on the need to respect the cultural values at the heart of these enterprises and to recognize the importance of collective as well as individual well-being. In this regard, the authors underline the importance of values such as shared decision-making, co-operation and courage.

This study serves two important functions. First, unlike most of what we hear in Canada about the situation of Aboriginal people, it is a positive story. Second, it is a wake-up call to policy-makers that new indices incorporating the positive experiences of women are needed if the full potential of Aboriginal community economic development is to be realized.

 Findlay and Wuttunee conclude that the case studies offer important lessons for policy-makers, notably:

• The benefits of local decision-making. While current policy emphasizes education and training and income support for individuals to compensate for labour market failures, the cases examined show the potential for new community-state relationships that are less about enabling people to adjust to the market and more about empowering them to participate as full citizens.
• The need for sharing lessons. Greater effort must be made within the Aborginal community to ensure the experiences of female entrepreneurs are shared more widely. Likewise, dialogue between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people must explore the lessons learned by female innovators in community economic development and how policies might be improved.
• The need for new forms of measurement. In developing the indicators that will better serve policy-makers and communities, “greater respect for Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing” is required. We must also understand the “visions and values” that count in the lives of these communities, say Findlay and Wuttunee. They recommend “multiple bottom-line” accounting approaches that include environmental, social and cultural factors in addition to the financial cost and benefits of doing business.
• The cultural dimensions of community economic development successes and quality of life indicators. The women in the cases the authors examine succeeded because they used their values to define economic participation and prosperity in their own terms. Efforts to change how economic performance is measured can profit from the experience of such women, particularly their enterprising commitment to cultural continuity and equity.
  

Aboriginal Women’s Community Economic Development: Measuring and Promoting Success, by Isobel Findlay and Wanda Wuttunee, is part of the IRPP’s Aboriginal Quality of Life research program. It can be downloaded free of charge from www.irpp.org 

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