Introduction

I have two objectives this morning.

The first objective—building on the comments made by Marc Lafrenière—is to describe for you how the Aboriginal agenda is transforming itself from an earlier focus on "rights" and "grievances," which primarily involved government, into an integrated approach to Quality of Life, which encompasses economic development, human capital, community infrastructure and governance.

My basis message is that now is the time for you to be aware of the growing convergence between this emerging Aboriginal Quality of Life agenda and your work, your interests and your capabilities, as representatives of the private sector.

My second objective is to take several minutes to describe the First Nations Governance Initiative.

The Honourable Robert Nault, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, is strongly of the view that there are some key governance tools that First Nations require if they are to make good economic development decisions and build healthy communities.

Evolution Of The Aboriginal Agenda

The Aboriginal agenda has gone through a number of transformations. For example, this meeting couldn't have happened 40 years ago, because we still had "Indian Agents" in the ‘60s, and connections between First Nations communities and the private sector were not at the top of the policy agenda.

Even 10 years ago, this conference would have been difficult to organize, in the aftermath of the Oka crisis, and the continuing demand for governments to address issues of Aboriginal rights and land grievances, etc.

Over the course of the ‘90s, however, many of the issues surrounding Aboriginal rights and title have been addressed – not resolved, but addressed -- through the courts, and through negotiations.

As a result, there is a much broader Quality of Life agenda now in play.

Key Dimensions Of The Quality Of Life Agenda

1. Economic Development
Let's start with economic development because it is key to overcoming dependency and creating self-sufficiency.

And while I do not want to scoop Al Horner's presentation, I do want to pose two questions:

First, are we all equally aware of what First Nations bring to the economic development table?

Second, are we clear about the implications for the private sector?

We sometimes forget that First Nations have land ... in terms of their reserves, and as a result of land claim settlements. Some of these land bases are very large, such as the Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta.

We sometimes overlook the fact that First Nations have resources ... oil, gas, forestry, mining.

And we periodically need to be reminded that First Nations have location .... they happen to live where major hydro-electric projects are being planned, in Quebec, in Manitoba, and elsewhere.

In terms of broader implications, we always need to remind ourselves that First Nations communities and Aboriginal entrepreneurs, no matter how capable and talented, will not be able to develop those resources and seize those opportunities completely through their own human and financial resources.

So, who else but you in the broader private sector has the expertise, the access to markets, the capital and technology to ensure that these resources and assets can be translated into economic development and job creation?

2. Human Capital
This is a very broad area. Let me focus, in the time available, on two aspects of the Aboriginal agenda with particular relevance to the private sector.

As Marc Lafrenière stated in his opening comments, the demographics underlying the Aboriginal agenda are extremely important.

In effect, there is a "baby boom" now underway in Aboriginal Canada ... at exactly the time when the post-war "boomers" are getting ready to retire.

This means that the labour force, particularly in Western Canada, is going to enter a period of profound transformation over the next 10 years, a development that will have far-reaching implications for the future role of Aboriginal people in the economic growth of this country.

How do we ensure that Aboriginal people will be equipped to take their new and important place in the Canadian labour force of tomorrow?

One challenge is the whole issue of early childhood development, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other factors which have serious implications for subsequent education achievement and capacity to enter and stay in the labour force.

Another challenge is completing K through 12. There are too many First Nation children still leaving school at about Grade 9.

This is why you will be seeing an increasing focus on all aspects of First Nation education, from Kindergarten to 12 and beyond.

At the same time, it is important to note that along with the challenges, there is progress.

Twenty years ago, there were only several hundred First Nations or Inuit individuals with post-secondary degrees. Now there are over 30,000 First Nations and Inuit degree holders, and more enrolling and graduating all the time.

All this to say that investing in the human capacity of Aboriginal people is crucial—for their social and economic development, and for the productivity of the Canadian labour force of tomorrow.

3. Community Infrastructure
The third dimension of this Aboriginal Quality of Life agenda involves infrastructure.

Difficult to create human capital, tough to have successful students, in conditions of severe over-crowding ... so, housing becomes a determinant of both Aboriginal education achievement and Aboriginal health.

It's important to note that something in the order of 100 First Nations communities are not connected by all-weather roads, and that there are still 80 First Nations communities not connected to electrical grids.

It is difficult to access the regional labour market, or participate in the regional economy when faced with this kind of isolation. Basic infrastructure is key to economic development.
And as Canada moves from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy, the entire concept of "infrastructure" is being re-thought and re-shaped in ways that create opportunities for First Nations people, for the general public, and society as a whole.

For example, last April, at the Indigenous Summit of the Americas, the Aboriginal Canada Portal was announced. This is an internet project which links all federal departments, all provincial and territorial governments, national Aboriginal organizations, and well over 600 First Nation and northern communities.

You can see how the rest of this particular picture gets filled in ... connectivity has enormous implications for First Nations and Inuit communities in terms of distance learning, distance health care and for "e-commerce."

4. The First Nations Governance Initiative

The last major dimension of the Aboriginal Quality of Life agenda involves governance, which, as I have already noted, is a major priority of the Honourable Robert Nault, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

There is increasing evidence—both academic and practical in nature—which suggests that the ability to pursue economic development objectives, to create human capital, to create healthy communities with adequate infrastructure all depend on good governance.

This, you may say, is a penetrating statement of the obvious.

But here we need to talk about the burden of history, and the relationship between Canada and First Nations.

The Indian Act was passed in 1876 and, in fact, was one of the first major undertakings of the new Dominion of Canada.

This legislation was comprehensive in scope, having something to say about almost every aspect of life on reserves, from birth to death ... and 126 years after the Indian Act was given Royal Assent, our department still registers newborns as Status Indians, and still processes estates.

Unfortunately, the Indian Act has almost nothing useful to say about governance. Which means that First Nations governments do not have the legal capacity they require to make accountable decisions about how the resources of the community should be managed or invested.

This is why Minister Nault has launched the First Nations Governance Initiative.

The initiative is looking at ways to design a new statutory framework for governance; update the electoral and voting systems for First Nations operating under the Indian Act; balance the interests of on-and off-reserve First Nations members; and ensure Band Councils have the right tools to operate effective governments.

So why should you be concerned? Are there implications for the private sector?

How do these four dimensions of the Aboriginal Quality of Life agenda—that is, economic development, human capital, community infrastructure and governance—match up with your interests and priorities?

Well, if you are in the resource development business, then First Nations may be of increasing interest, depending on the resources you want to see developed.

I could talk about First Nations involved in oil, gas and tar sand development in Alberta, about First Nations involved in forestry in Saskatchewan, and about potential hydroelectric developments involving Manitoba First Nations.

And, if you are a banker, the revenues generated from this development and the finances associated with claims settlements may translate into business opportunities.

Similarly, if you are an educator anywhere from the Lakehead to Vancouver, you don't want to ignore the whole issue of how or whether the education system is serving Aboriginal students, especially those in the primary grades.

And, if you are a university or community college or technical institute administrator, you probably want to reflect on the growing number of Aboriginal students going through your institutions.

Are you having the impact you want? Are those students getting what they need?

If you are an employer, especially in many areas of the West, you are probably thinking about the changing composition of the workforce. The same goes if your company is hiring north of 60, or in north-western Ontario, or in Labrador.

In effect, what we are suggesting here today is that there are important opportunities now emerging for First Nations and the private sector to work together.

We are seeing the emergence of successful Aboriginal entrepreneurs and we will be seeing major economic development projects in which there will be Aboriginal partners.

These are all contributions that First Nations will make to the economic development of their own communities and to Canada as a whole.

But these contributions will not be made on their own, and we cannot take these success stories for granted.

The private sector has the technology, the expertise, the access to capital—in short, all of the tools that Aboriginal people will require to be successful.

You are the partners they will need to make joint ventures a reality.

You are the employers that will help smooth the transition to the work force for what is the fastest growing part of Canada's youth population.

A Final Point ...On Public Confidence

And, as a final point, your participation in this new emphasis on Quality of Life will be particularly important in terms of how Canadians understand this situation, its risks and its opportunities.

As John Bray will mention in his presentation, Canadians want to be assured that the very troubling socio-economic disparities being experienced by Aboriginal people are being addressed. They want to know that their tax dollars are being spent effectively.

The EKOS presentation you have just seen shows that First Nations individuals worry about exactly the same things as the rest of us, about good schooling for their children, adequate housing for their families, and decent jobs and steady employment.

And there is a challenge in front of all of us to demonstrate to Canadians that economic and social development is well within the grasp of First Nations communities working in concert with their non-Aboriginal neighbours and with the corporations and educational institutions in Canadian society as a whole.

In short, we are on the brink of a period of interdependence between Aboriginal people and Canadian society as a whole, one that will transcend boundaries and stereotypes and move beyond dependency to a new Canadian reality ... but only if we keep our eyes open to the opportunities and responsibilities in front of all of us.

Thank you.

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