U of A Native Student Club forum: Varied views on economic development presented

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Economic development within the Native community was discussed by Native business leaders at a forum hosted by the U of A Native Student Club March 4 at the Newman Center of St. Joseph's College.

"Forums tend to be a problem centered, however it is equally important to look at the initiatives and achievements by Native people," said Mattie McNeill, president of the U of A Native Student Club in her opening address to the forum.

Roy Louis, chairman of Peace Hills Trust, Chief Walter Twinn of the Sawridge Band, Yvonne Wuttunee of the Alberta Aboriginal Women's Steering Committee and Craig Barraclough of Esso Resources spoke on the increasing economic activity within the Native community.

It takes community commitment and effort such as what the Samson band went through to set up their own bank to overcome the many obstacles to economic development, said Louis.

Louis sits on the federal Native Economic Development Program (NEDP), set up to promote Native business ventures. He was also the chairman of the Native Busines Summit held last year in Toronto.

"We are Canada's first free traders," said Louis, in encouraging Native people to be creative in developing sound business ventures.

"We never hear of success stories of Native businesses," said Louis, although there were 5,000 Native businesses doing $55 million worth of business in Canada, identified at the Native Business Summit.

He would like to see more Native communities set up industries and corporations and buy land if need be, as part of the economic development of self-government Native communities.

Native people want and are starving for economic development which would be part of Native self-government, said Louis.

"Native business is not promoted in the Native community," said Barraclough, the only non-Native speaker, who is the Native affairs advisor for Esso.

The corporate philosophy of Esso, said Barraclough, is that it makes good business sense to develop local talent in Native communities. His job is primarily to communicate business opportunities to the local community.

Esso has worked with Native communities and businesses in the north and elsewhere in Alberta, such as Pemee Well Servicing at Bonnyville, reported Barraclough.

"We feel some obligation for programs for the common good, and will always be an equal opportunity employer," said Barraclough.

He mentioned the Native Internship Program of the Canadian Council of Native Business and a Junior Achievement program in Cold Lake, involving Grade 9 and 10 students in business experimental learning, as two worthwhile programs.

"Survival that's what economic development is," said Twinn. "If we had not started the Sawridge Hotel, we would have stayed in the labour force."

Getting the market is the most important thing to consider in setting up a business, said Twinn. Sawridge Hotel is located off the reserve, in the town of Slave lake, because that's where the market is, explained Twinn.

Twinn criticized over reliance on government business subsidies, and said that government subsidy should be only used to start up a business.

"If we depend on grants, it could be dangerous," warned Twinn.

He also does not like conditions being placed on industry, such as cultural conditions.

"On small business, conditions put a strain on us," said Twinn. "A socialist approach to business is not good.

"We have to play by corporate rules," said Twinn, who favors free enterprise as the route for individual and community businesses. The NEDP is the best program Twinn said he has ever seen in the western world, although he conceded that the minister has to give final approval on grants to business.

Wuttunee painted a dismal picture of business opportunities for Native people.

"We don't have the money or the collateral," making it difficult to finance new business ventures in the Native community."

Wuttunee also complained that Native businesses are not supported by their own people and that there is a ack of a Native business network.

When asked if they support the Lubicon Lake Band in its bid for a land base, all speakers announced support.

Twinn suggested that Lubicon Lake accept the government offer of 24 sections plus mineral rights, if the offer is true.

"If it's true, they should accept," said Twinn, adding that the Lubicon Lake could benefit from oil on that land, which he said contain a billion dollars worth of oil.

He blamed the non-Native consultants and lawyer working with Lubicon Lake for stalling the band's bid for land.

On self-government, "we cannot blame the white man anymore. I would like all mineral rights turned over to the Indians," said Twinn.