Entrepreneurship—not redistribution—true path to First Nations prosperity | National Newswatch

Everybody loves to hate the Indian Act. In 2010, Sean Atleo, then-National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, called upon the federal government to repeal the Act within five years. In 2012, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government endorsed a private member’s bill to repeal certain sections of the Act, saying this was the first step along the path of repealing it altogether.

The original purpose of the Indian Act was to create temporary protected spaces where Indians could live while they assimilated into the Canadian community. Accordingly, Indian reserves were owned by the Crown and government officials had to approve all economic transactions involving reserve land and its produce. But by the middle of the 20century it was becoming clear that Indians did not want assimilation and that lands set aside by the Indian Act had become de facto permanent homelands.

These achievements are the result not of repealing the Indian Act but of incremental amendments to the Act and of supplementary legislation to create new opportunities. Much has been accomplished but much remains to be done to facilitate Indigenous entrepreneurship and participation in Canada’s market economy. Here are three examples.

Of course, First Nations have entered the gaming industry to the extent allowed by the provinces, whose gaming cartels generally keep First Nations out of profitable metropolitan markets. Amendments to the Criminal Code, passed in 1985 without consulting First Nations, gave the provinces control over gaming. Ottawa could pass further amendments to create greater opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurship in gaming.

We should probably start at not treating them like dog shit and respecting their rights before we start pretending like they have equal opportunity

But I do agree that FN leaders have often been complicit in continuing this vile and racist Act and that the only way out for FN is economic freedom.

I disagree that the purpose was to '... create temporary protected spaces where Indians could live while they assimilated into the Canadian community.' It was to control and force assimilation.

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