Alex Fallon, the president and CEO of the Saskatoon and Region Economic Development Authority. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
A new report says Saskatoon is better-poised to include Aboriginal people in the economy than anywhere else.
The “City of Bridges: First Nations and Metis Economic Development in the Saskatoon Region” report, produced by the Saskatoon Aboriginal Employment Partnership (SAEP), looks at how education and economic gaps between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people are hurting the province.
For example, the report says if First Nations and Metis had the same education and income level, earnings would go up by $1 billion annually in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network (SFNEDN) is one of the many partners involved in this report, which took about six months to put together.
Part of the report addresses the need for historical context when it comes to these negative numbers, said SFNEDN’s Charlotte Ross, a Cree woman who is also a co-chair on SAEP. She said. For example, restrictive policies under the Indian Act play a big role.
“It’s important for us to not forget about the history of how things became unraveled,” Ross said.
“We actually had sound, thriving economies prior to contact, and after contact we have the Indian Act” which included the pass system for First Nations people to need permission to leave the reserve, and a permit system for First Nations people to sell their goods.
The report shows there are already success stories for the economic engagement of Aboriginal people, but there’s more to be done, said Alex Fallon, the president and CEO of the Saskatoon and Region Economic Development Authority.
“Saskatoon region has done a tremendous job in terms of supporting some of the Aboriginal Economic Development Corporations but there’s still a long way to go. But if you look at the treaty land entitlement process, the addition to reserves and urban reserves there’s a lot more potential there” in terms of Aboriginal employment opportunities, he said.
The report says business needs to be doing more to act on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. This includes opening up training and job opportunities focused on Aboriginal people.
At the event’s launch, she told a room full of the report’s stakeholders that it’s a good step in getting different interested parties together to improve the business success of Aboriginal people.
Another SAEP co-chair, Gilles Dorval, echoed that statement, saying the goal of the report is to get more aboriginal people involved in the economy.
Fallon admitted it’s easier to get business on board when the economy is in an upswing, but said in the long run businesses will be more successful if they look to hire from the large pool of Aboriginal people in the region. In a brief overview of the “City of Bridges” report, Fallon noted Saskatoon has a population of about 6.2 per cent First Nations people. With Metis people accounted for, that number jumps to about 10 per cent.