Aboriginal Co-operatives in Canada - Centre for the Study of Co ...

A P P E N D I X I ~number of areas, however, the co-operative is now perceived as playing a marginal role in thecommunity in the political and socio-economic spheres (Tullaugak 2000; Ittukalak 2000).MissionAt the time it was first established, the co-operative was intended both to operate as a linkbetween the sculptors and customers in the South 3 and to provide the inhabitants with a varietyof consumer goods, while maintaining a degree of control over prices. Today, the co-operativeseems to have fulfilled its primary mission. According to one representative of the MakivikCorporation and the Kativik government (Tullaugak 2000), the role of the co-operative becamea little broader over time, changing from being primarily commercial (promoting sculpture byfinding market outlets) to playing a more dynamic role in the community. At present, it offersa variety of services to members of the community, and supports numerous community projects(see section on the co-operative network, below).To respond to the lack of infrastructure in the region, the co-operative offers a number ofservices to the community such as banking services, consumer loans, insurance services, andeven cable television. The Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec (FCNQ) purchasedthe Government of Québec and Shell Oil company tanks located in the region, andsince 1987 the co-operative has distributed oil to the entire community. In the last two years,the co-operative has purchased a hotel and built a courthouse, which it rents to the Nunavikitinerant court.In its specific role as a general store, the co-operative offers a wide variety of consumerproducts, ranging from foodstuffs to electronic equipment, and including motor vehicle salesand the sale of clothing, books, and recordings. This means that the co-operative is able to fillpractically all the needs of consumers. Members may place individual orders, and only a fewvery specialized items are not offered (e.g., VCR head-cleaning cassettes). At the same timeas offering this range of products and services, the co-operative acts as a sort of communitycentre. This broadening of sights is apparently attributable in large part to the training providedfor managers by the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec.Associational LifeGenerally speaking, the members of the community regard the co-operative as an organizationin which everyone plays a role and where everyone can be heard. The co-operative also seemsto be seen as a leading instrument of regional development. Because of the connection of3 The term “South” refers, here, to the portion of Québec located below the 55th parallel, what some call “WhiteQuébec.”314 ~