A Paper Prepared for: First Nations First Thoughts
Pressure for Canadian resources is, and has been, a constant force driving not only national development but also indigenous development. However, if we are to advance our understanding of First Nations development, or “self-determination”, it is important to understand the cultural implications of...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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2005
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.574.3188 http://www.cst.ed.ac.uk/2005conference/papers/Slowey_paper.pdf |
| Summary: | Pressure for Canadian resources is, and has been, a constant force driving not only national development but also indigenous development. However, if we are to advance our understanding of First Nations development, or “self-determination”, it is important to understand the cultural implications of resource extraction and political economy for First Nations. The question this paper asks is this: through what relationships and mechanisms is First Nations development been facilitated and organized? Answers to this question will only be found by surveying different models of First Nations development. Primarily a rethinking of the significance of development, this paper draws loosely on preliminary research conducted through community visits and/or interviews across northern Canada.1 It argues that in many instances development is viewed as necessary because First Nations culture has been significantly hollowed out over the course of Canadian history. Although overwhelmed by Western institutions and materialism, to ensure their continued cultural survival many First Nations now embrace development as a tool which can be used to assist them in the challenge of balancing culture and capitalism. 1 This paper represents a first effort to unpack many of the ideas that emerged during the course of field research that has occurred over the past seven years. It draws largely upon field research which originated during my summer of employment with the Mikisew Cree |
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