CCAB – Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Conference

A Presentation by Keith Martell

October 24, 2011

Agenda• Entrepreneur Defined • Aboriginal History of Entrepreneurship

• Planting the Seeds of Entrepreneurship

• Unlimited Potential for Aboriginal Business

• Summary

Definition of EntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.

"The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of lower and into higher productivity and greater yield."

Do Aboriginal People Have a History of Entrepreneurship?

100’s of Years of Aboriginal Entrepreneurship after European contact- Trappers, Traders- Freighters- Retailers- Logistics- Camp and Catering- Security & Eco-Tourism

Planting or Re-planting the Seeds of Entrepreneurship?

Unlimited Potential of Aboriginal Business

A cycle of exclusion, entry, advancement and full participation in an Economy has happen before. Timing is very important in the length of this cycle.

Saskatchewan had a problem: a large economically marginalized population. The popular mood was pessimistic–they were regarded as racially inferior: "poor, illiterate, diseased, morally lax, politically corrupt, and religiously deficient.” They were disproportionately likely to work in the sex trade. High unemployment rates were endemic.Saskatchewan with an Aboriginal Majority: Education and EntrepreneurshipBy Professor Eric C. Howe

The time was the early 1900's and the population consisted of hundreds of thousands of Eastern European immigrants and their descendants. They were principally from the Ukraine,Russia, Poland, and Romania.

Saskatchewan with an Aboriginal Majority: Education and EntrepreneurshipBy Professor Eric C. Howe

In 1961 the number of children per women was close to four. Only one person in 13 was 65 years of age or older. The Canadian median age was 26.3 years of age.

SummaryAboriginal People have a proud history of being

Entrepreneurs. They played a key role in the immigration and settlement of Europeans into the continent and the development and advancement of the economy.

Aboriginal Entrepreneurs were masters of their craft who used their skill to shifts economic resources out of lower and into higher productivity and greater yield.

The demographics of our population creates the conditions for Aboriginal engagement and advancement in the economy of a prosperous Canada.

The priorities of all Canadian leaders needs to be the education and inclusion of Aboriginal Youth.

Thank You