Business Development and Nation (Re)Building in Canadian First Nations: A Case Study of the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council and FHQ Developments Ltd.

First Nations in Canada are in the process of recovering from the fallout of damaging colonial policies that have had a lasting impact on the wellbeing of Indigenous societies. Business development and governance reform are two pathways from which First Nations can increase collective wellbeing, self-sufficiency, and self-determination. In both cases, progress is constrained by the existence of the Indian Act – a federal piece of imposed and archaic legislation that continues to govern all aspects of life on First Nation reserves. The scholarly discussion on the topic has been largely shaped by two streams of literature: that of Indigenous entrepreneurship, as well as the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. There have been few empirical studies attempting to merge these divergent literature streams within a Canadian context. This thesis aims to do so, utilizing an Indigenous and community-based methodology to encapsulate a rich and dynamic case study narrative, stretching back to precolonial times, of the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council in southern Saskatchewan. This emphasis on historical embeddedness provides the necessary context from which to more fully understand the political, economic, and social objectives of the contemporary tribal council in nation rebuilding. Following the case narrative is a discussion on the role of First Nation business development within the process of nation rebuilding, which is then concluded with theoretical and policy implications relevant to First Nations, researchers, government, and private industry.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Public Policy (MPP)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Public Policy

Grantor dc:publisher

Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Gordon, Moses Edward George

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• McNutt, Kathleen

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Coates, Ken
• Kayseas, Bob
• Schneider, Bettina

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.82465/3814

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/8822