Band economy gets a boost

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With a large contingent of First Nations youth aged 20 to 30 entering the job market, economic development has become a top priority for many communities.

Dawn Madahbee, general manager of Waubetek Business Development Corporation in Birch Island, believes it is important for bands to join forces to create jobs. She told a recent meeting of the Manitoulin-LaCloche Economic Partners that a new professional association has been formed to advance their collective goals.

The new organization for economic development officers (EDOs) has adopted the theme "working together as one."

Madahbee said the association will aid better communication and networking among EDOs. New training opportunities also have been offered through the University of Waterloo. A Web site has been set up to ensure that EDOs talk to each other about economic development in communities served by Waubetek.

According to Madahbee, Waubetek has worked to market 55 tourism products over the past two years. Staff have been hired to promote a series of First Nations attractions known as the Great Spirit Circle Trail throughout North America and Europe.

Recent familiarization tours provided for European journalists have proven to be invaluable, in her view.

"We hosted seven media tours and all the articles had positive write-ups," she stated. "We calculated that if we had to actually buy that amount of advertising, it would have added up to $1.7 million."

With so much competition for tourism dollars in the Manitoulin area, some conflict and controversy has been inevitable. Madahbee has reprimanded non-Aboriginal tourist operators for unauthorized appropriation of Native cultural works and traditions. In an autumn address to the Manitoulin Chamber of Commerce, she noted that "some (non-Native) businesses are trying to capitalize on and take advantage of the Aboriginal cultural component in our area. This needs to cease immediately. We are opposed to the blatant commercialization of the land, water and culture."

A move to establish a regional tourism marketing body for Manitoulin and the North shore of Lake Huron, has encountered stumbling blocks this past fall because First Nations were not consulted. Madahbee criticized the non-Native agencies for ignoring Aboriginal stakeholders.

"The feasiblility study (for the unified tourism agency) has some good aspects to it and the direction is positive," said Dawn Madahbee. "But the study does not mention the tourism products already marketed by our First Nations."

Delegates to an economic development meeting in Gore Bay heard further concerns about the inadequate consultation. "We feel there is value in being involved with the regional marketing agency," Madahbee stated.

"But we see a need to return to the terms of reference. In the (feasibility) study it said Aboriginal stakeholders were to be consulted. We feel it would be important to the shaping of this new organization if they revisited what the First Nations have to say. We did attend the steering committee meeting (for the new agency) and we think it is really important to have the Aboriginal people of the area involved in the regional organization."

In keeping with Waubetek's motto of "investing in the Aboriginal business spirit," an economic development conference is planned for March. The conference will focus on business opportunities beyond the borders of First Nations, she said.