Aboriginal Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Canada : Thoughts on Current Theory and Practice

Using economic development and entrepreneurship among Aboriginal people in Canada as a particular instance of Indigenous entrepreneurship, the authors argue that the strong tie between the entrepreneurial process and the historic lands of an Indigenous group makes it possible to regard Indigenous entrepreneurship, as well as the economic development that it generates, as a particular sub-set of ethnic entrepreneurship. Aboriginal entrepreneurship also involves a sort of “nation-building.”Following a description of the socioeconomic circumstances of Aboriginal people in Canada and the entrepreneurial approaches that were designed to improve those circumstances in the late twentieth century, those approaches are examined more carefully. First, regulation theory (enriched with an entrepreneurial perspective) is used to determine whether the current Aboriginal approach to improvement is likely to succeed.It is argued that the approach is indeed theoretically sound for Aboriginal communities.The authors then question the extent to which the approach to development suggested by regulation theory is being implemented.The results of a 2002 survey of 231 members of the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) suggest that important aspects of the approach are indeed being implemented.Finally, the question of whether the regulation theory approach is actually working is considered.Although early indications suggest a degree of success, only time will reveal the definitive answer to this question.(SAA)