The $100-billion economic engine: How Indigenous entrepreneurs are powering Canada’s economy – The Globe and Mail
Indigenous entrepreneurs are a growing part of the Canadian economy, with Indigenous-led businesses contributing more than $31-billion to the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP), according to the National Indigenous Economic Development Board.
Indigenous business owners in Canada account for more than 50,000 enterprises but they continue to face significant barriers in accessing capital, even as they launch new ventures at five times the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts.
One expert says it simply makes good business sense and it’s an investment in national prosperity to offer support and resources to these companies.
“The Indian Act actively excluded Indigenous Peoples from participating in business, economic systems, resource development and access to lands. What we need now is to recognize Indigenous Peoples as generative, investable and viable partners,” says Carol Anne Hilton, CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Centre of Indigenomics.
