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Indigenous people are the fastest-growing and youngest segment of the Canadian population. And have been for decades. Based on the 2020 Canada Census there are now 1.8 million Indigenous people in Canada.

There is a direct link between education and employment. Historically, Indigenous peoples have experienced higher unemployment rates than other Canadians. Why? Because historically, they have been offered inferior education, beginning with the cataclysmic residential school system, followed by decades of underfunding for on-reserve schools. Poor education over generations begets chronic unemployment over generations.

Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its report and 94 Calls to Action, we have seen significant progress for Canada and Canadians on the path to reconciliation. The signs are all around and we are hopeful we are indeed moving the needle on reconciliation.

The following First Nation Elder protocol question popped up in our inbox and we are really grateful for the opportunity to respond. We appreciate people taking the time to reach out to us with specific questions that will help them in their goal for respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Northern British Columbia is an area often overlooked as a business opportunity Mecca but to Ramona Materi, President, Ingenia Consulting, it is rich with possibilities. So, she decided to write a “how to do business” guidebook. British Columbia's New North: How to Build Your Business, Respect Communities--and Prosper is for national and international investors, global contractors as well as “mom and pop” business owners who want to set up shop in the region. The information is practical, targeted and insightful into economy, gaps in the economy (both existing and pending) and tips from residents on living in this vibrant region.

 Here at Indigenous Corporate Training we get lots of questions from our blog visitors. A very common one is “does your online, webinar, onsite, or public training answer specific questions about specific communities?” Below is an example of one such interaction with the answer to the question provided further down.

Every so often a shining example of recognizing an opportunity to reach out and work with an Aboriginal community for the betterment of all comes along that really tugs our heartstrings. This is the story of how a bunch of kids scrabbled together some tools and lumber and built their own mountain bike park all on their own, and in doing so launched the impetus for a visiting community planning consultant, Patrick Lucas, to create the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Biking Program (AYMBP). The Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program is a non-profit, volunteer driven program to assist and support Aboriginal youth and communities to participate and excel in the sport of mountain biking and this is how it all began.

One of our newsletter subscribers, Rod Cunningham, brought to our attention an online ad regarding exclusive accommodation rates for the Aboriginal community, and made this comment “A nice example of how business can be more inclusive and welcoming to Aboriginal Peoples.” So, we decided to find out more about the initiative and the impetus behind it.

"When a people can laugh at themselves and laugh at others and hold all aspects of life together without letting anybody drive them to extremes, then it seems to me that that people can survive.” Vine Deloria Jr., author, theologian, historian

by Trevor Kehoe

Debunking Myths Surrounding Canada's Aboriginal Population was released by TD Economics on June 18, 2012. In the Special Report by TD Economics, the authors take aim at issues like Aboriginal people paying taxes, post-secondary education, living in rural areas, falling behind in the job market and more...