ABSN British Columbia

The Aboriginal Context in British Columbia

In 2001, there were 170,025 Aboriginal people living in British Columbia, consisting of approximately 4.4% of the population in line with the 4.4% in the Canadian population identified as Aboriginal. Of British Columbia’s Aboriginal population, 118,295 (70%) were First Nations, 44,265 (26%) were Métis, and 800 (0.5%) were Inuit.

The Aboriginal population in British Columbia is young when compared to the population as a whole: in 2001, the median age of the Aboriginal population was 26.8, whereas the median age of the non-Aboriginal population was 38.7. In addition, 7% of children in British Columbia were Aboriginal, compared to 5.6% in of all Canada.

While in the three Prairie Provinces all areas are covered by land treaties, BC has a different political context for Aboriginal peoples. Between 1850 and 1854, there were 14 treaties signed on Vancouver Island but this process stopped after 1854. In the year 2000, the first treaty in modern BC history was finalized after 23 years of negotiation. Comprehensive land claims are a key issue in BC with much of the land in the province being claimed. Subsequently, the provincial government has created the Treaty Negotiation Office to deal with the issue.

The federal Comprehensive Land Claims Policy was adopted in 1973 and last revised in 1986. Its goal was to achieve certainty with respect to lands and resources in areas of Canada where Aboriginal rights were not resolved by treaty or other lawful means. The policy applies to First Nations and Inuit, but excludes Métis groups. Since 1973, sixteen comprehensive land claim agreements have been negotiated and brought into effect, mostly in northern Quebec and the three Territories. However, comprehensive land claims are currently outstanding in approximately 20% of Canada (mostly in BC, all of the Maritimes, much of Labrador, over a third of Quebec, the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, and continuing residual claims in all three territories). Over half of the active negotiation tables are in BC and are overseen by the tripartite British Columbia Treaty Commission.

The claims settled in the past thirty years were primarily in northern and remote regions with limited third party interests and in the Territories where the federal government controls the land and resources. The remaining claims are primarily in the provinces, often in populated areas with extensive third party interests and greater competition for access to land and resources. Thus, achieving settlement is much more complex.

The Comprehensive Land Claims Policy has not been formally reviewed since 1986 but there have been a number of significant adjustments. For example, since 1995, self-government can be negotiated as part of a comprehensive land claims agreement. As well, some federal departments are beginning to negotiate co-management mechanisms and a consultation process for resource allocation with Aboriginal groups claiming Aboriginal rights. For example, included are the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Aboriginal fishery strategy; Parks Canada and Wood Buffalo National Park; and fishery discussions with the Haida Nation in British Columbia. Provincial governments and industry are also examining mechanisms to fulfill potential consultation obligations. British Columbia is currently negotiating forestry accommodation agreements with First Nations.

In May 1986, the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act was passed after 15 years of negotiation and consultation. This was a specific piece of legislation that allowed the Sechelt Indian Band, located on the BC coast, to move toward self-government. The Sechelt Indian band has municipal status under provincial legislation, however other Aboriginal groups have criticized the Sechelt model for being governed by provincial legislation. In response, the Sechelt people contend that theirs is a unique model, established in response to their particular situation, and not intended to constrain other communities. In 1996, the B.C. Treaty Commission was created to negotiate comprehensive land claims in BC and the Sechelt Indian Band signed an Agreement-in-Principle in 1999, the first in the Commission process.

The Nisga'a land claim in BC was settled in 2000 with representatives from the Nisga’a Tribal Council, the federal government, and the government of BC. It includes provisions related to land, resources, financial compensation and governance. Under the Agreement, the Nisga’a have a central government and four village governments, similar to local government arrangements. All Nisga’a law-making powers are concurrent with those of Canada and BC.

The Office of the Federal Interlocutor currently manages negotiation processes with Métis and non-status Indian organizations at the provincial level across Canada and has established Métis child and family agencies and authorities delivering child and family services to Métis communities in BC.

Program Implementation

In British Columbia, the Community Economic Development Centre at Simon Fraser University (SFU) completed a study on Aboriginal business needs in January 2001. This Gap Analysis Study was intended to determine the business information needs of Aboriginal entrepreneurs and service providers. A three-year action plan grew out of the analysis and an ABSN Coordinator was hired in September 2002. By August 2003, nine ABSN REACH sites had been established and a regional ABSN website was being developed.

In BC, ABSN is an unincorporated Steering Committee operating in partnership with the support of WD and managed through a contract with CFDA. Small Business BC (SBBC), located in downtown Vancouver, has a sub-contract with CFDA to provide services to ABSN, including in-person and telephone support, and web hosting. The full-time ABSN Coordinator is also under contract with CFDA but is managed by WD.

The SFU Advisory Committee involved in the 2001 Gap Analysis study included stakeholder representation from service providers, government, and other partners. It was later reconvened to form the ABSN Steering Committee. It is made up of volunteer Aboriginal business service providers who are working together to create a comprehensive and integrated strategy to support the growth and development of Aboriginal business. Steering Committee members include representatives from Aboriginal service providers, the provincial government of British Columbia, and federal departments such as INAC, HRSDC, ABC, and WD. In addition, key network partners include the CFDA and Small Business BC.

By 2004, 17 REACH sites were located in areas where Aboriginal entrepreneurs had public access. Aboriginal-specific business resource materials, support and Internet access were provided at these sites to support business research, planning, and development. Each site was provided with $5,000 worth of computer equipment and resource library materials. An Aboriginal business intern was hired to build partnerships. The development of the REACH sites resulted in increased capacity development and networking.

The Aboriginal business website www.firstbusiness.ca, provided under contract by SBBC, was designed to provide comprehensive, relevant, and effective business information and resources to Aboriginal entrepreneurs. A resource binder – containing an Aboriginal Business Development workbook and a variety of other tools – intended as a capacity development tool for Aboriginal Business Development Officers is also available.. In addition, an Aboriginal Community Economic Development Toolbox is under development, particularly the portion focusing on curriculum development.

Partnerships were developed with a number of organizations in order to share information, resources, and best practices, as well as to communicate important information and events to Aboriginal service providers. Furthermore, private sector partners were identified in order to assist in the delivery of a variety of initiatives. A Youth at Risk internship program, in which six at risk youth will be placed as interns at REACH sites, is currently under development.

Outputs

Based on a review of documents, recent measurable outputs of ABSN BC included:

1 gap analysis;
17 REACH sites;
170 in-person contacts per month (2003-04);
4,862 unique website visitors per month (2004-5); and
1 BC Aboriginal Small Business Profile.

<< previous | next >>