Indigenous urban business initiatives growing as demographics shift
CALGARY Bulldozers and excavators are cutting a broad swath through the reserve land of the Tsuut’ina in southwest Calgary as part of a transformative project gets underway.
The push to finish the city’s ring road has meant a $340.7 million payment to the First Nation for the land, and has helped create opportunities for economic reconciliation, said Lee Crowchild, chief of the Tsuut’ina.
“This is about Tsuut’ina moving forward into the future,” he said, sitting in the hotel restaurant of the Grey Eagle Casino, the First Nation’s well-established operation that it is planning to expand upon.
“We’ve been through this dark period, now we’re coming back.”
Having made the difficult decision to relinquish the land for the road, the Tsuut’ina is now planning how to make the most of the significant traffic that will be channelled their way when the road is complete.
The First Nation is working on a 500 hectare, multibilliondollar development along the edge of the ring road called Taza that will include retail centres, entertainment and hospitality complexes, a research campus, and office developments with a health and wellness component.
The development is important for the Nation to exert its independence, and is part of a wider push to provide urban opportunities for the fast-growing Indigenous youth demographic who are gravitating to cities, said Crowchild.
“We have to think about the future, we have to think about population growth, we have to think what it’s going to look like in 25 years, 50 years and beyond.”
The Tsuut’ina development is just one of the many developments and initiatives sprouting up across Canada as Indigenous people look to reassert themselves through business, said Jean Paul Gladu, president of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.
“Urban reserves, communities that are located close to the municipalities, are in a really unique position to act as the forefront of what reconciliation might look like, in working together through the business lens.”
Challenges persist though, including access to capital and other resources, as well as overcoming a deep distrust, he said.
“There’s a lot of history and hurt that needs to be overcome, before we can fully embrace stronger relationships. Without that trust, it’s hard to build a marriage like in a joint venture and business venture.”
He said the importance is only growing as indigenous youth continues to be the fastest-growing demographic in Canada.
“As more Indigenous youth move to urban centres, and you see it in Winnipeg, you see it in Thunder Bay, conflicts will arise unless we’ve got opportunities, and bridging programs to support Indigenous youth.”