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Co-ops
Provide Options for Canada's First Nations Peoples
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There
are over 130 co-operatives in Canada with memberships that are either
totally or predominantly aboriginal. Over seventy of them are in
the Northern regions of Canada and their memberships are largely
Inuit or Inuvialuit. Many of the Arctic co-operatives are more than
thirty years old and they have become best known for their roles
in the production and sale of Inuit art; in fact, it is difficult
to buy Inuit art in Southern Canada that did come from artist/members
of the Arctic co-operatives.
The Arctic co-operatives have become the largest employer of Aboriginal
people in Arctic Canada after government. They are the "economic
engines" of many communities operating, in addition to their arts
and craft and retail store businesses, hotels, post offices, tourist
services, skidoo repair shops and cable television networks.
The fifty Aboriginal co-operatives outside the North are scattered
across Canada; they are engaged in financial services, housing,
retail trades, health delivery and handicraft businesses. Because
of their geographic and economic diversity, the southern Aboriginal
co-operatives are not well integrated; nor are they well-known.
Professor Lou Hammond-Ketilson, Associate Dean of Commerce at the
University of Saskatchewan and Ian MacPherson, the BCICS director,
have recently completed a report on the Aboriginal co-operatives.
The report was financed by the Assembly of First Nations, the Co-operatives
Secretariat of the Government of Canada, the Canadian Co-operative
Association and Le conseil canadien de la coopération.
The report, which will be released to the public shortly, is based
on eleven case studies of co-operatives written by Aboriginal co-operative
leaders and academic researchers; a fifty page statistical analysis
of the known Aboriginal co-operatives prepared by the Co-operative
secretariat; and extensive consultation with various Aboriginal
leaders and groups.
The report demonstrates that co-operative approaches fit well within
stated Aboriginal preferences for the kinds of economic development
best suited to their peoples; that the Aboriginal experience with
co-operatives is little known, either within Aboriginal communities
or among the general public; that leaders of existing Aboriginal
co-operatives must be encouraged to discuss their experiences with
potentially interested Aboriginal groups; that future expansion
of the movement will depend upon a co-ordinated approach involving
Aboriginal organisations, the co-operative sector and government;
and that steps must be taken to prepare a cadre of trained Aboriginal
co-operative field workers able to work in communities across Canada.
Given the successes Aboriginal peoples have achieved in Canada and
the range of challenges confronting their communities there is considerable
reason to be optimistic about the potential for co-operatives both
on and off reserves as long as Aboriginal people have opportunities
to learn about co-operatives (not easy in the Canadian educational
system) and they develop the skills necessary to organize and operate
them. |
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Spring 2001: V1 - I1
Summer 2001: V1 - I2
Fall 2001: V1 - I3
Fall 2002: V2 - I1
Spring 2003: V3 - I1
Fall 2004: V4 - I1
Spring 2005: V5 - I1
Fall 2005: V5 - I2
Spring 2006: V6 - I1
Fall 2006: V6 - I2
Fall 2007: V7 - I1
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