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By Estella Petersen
The Indigenous Resource Network recently launched its “Ownership Changes Everything” campaign to advocate for Indigenous ownership in the natural resources sector.
Many people ask why Indigenous Peoples don’t have a loan program in place for their communities, and how would First Nations be able to attain such a program?
Having such a program in place would benefit not only Indigenous Peoples, but also Canadians across the country.
Indian Act & Indigenous Communities
Canada needs an Indigenous guaranteed loan program, as finding capital for development is challenging for many Indigenous communities.
For most Canadians, owning your home is seen as an asset or capital you can use towards lending more money to start a business. The Indian Act doesn’t permit Indigenous People in their communities to use their homes as capital.
Many Indigenous communities have no opportunity for employment and job creation is limited, so reliance on government assistance is prevalent. But economic development is possible, and along with it, economic reconciliation.
The Campaign and Solutions
Established in May 2020, the
