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

A P P E N D I X I ~youth of the community as well as future generations. It is also felt that the co-operative modelwill enable the community of Pukatawagan to develop stronger ties with other Cree and FirstNations communities in Manitoba, as well as with Inuit communities in the Arctic.The co-operative plays a significant role in economic development within the community ofPukatawagan as well. Due to the nature of the co-operative model, as has been mentioned,profits from the co-op are kept within the community, rather than leaving the community, as isthe case with many privately owned businesses. And because the co-op is located on reserve,there are tax incentives of which band members can take advantage. For instance, band memberswho work in the co-op do not have to pay income tax or sales tax on items purchased inthe co-op store. Members of the co-op also actively support local businesses such as theMissinippi Construction Company, which is owned by the band, when contracting servicesare needed.The co-op also supports local artists. For example, it is looking at having a local artist do printsfor t-shirts that will be sold in the co-op store and perhaps marketed outside the community aswell. There is another initiative to buy and sell clothing designed and made by a local entrepreneur.And there are plans to start selling soapstone carvings in the retail store and alsomarket them to tourists who come to the area to fish and hunt.The co-op supports local businesses and encourages local employment as much as possible.Recently, it hired a local mechanic to repair a four-wheeler owned by the co-op, rather thanshipping the vehicle out of the community for repairs. When the co-op needed picnic tablesfor the restaurant, a local carpenter filled the order.The co-op also works on community social initiatives as well as economic development initiatives.It donates to events such as the Women’s and Men’s Wellness conferences that takeplace in the community. When the new school was opened, the co-op purchased a soapstonecarving called The Lost Warrior from a local artist and donated it to the school as a symboliccultural gesture. The warrior needed a home, and the school seemed an appropriate place fromwhich he could watch over members of the community. The carving is also intended to remindchildren of their culture and that part of it that has been lost, which the community is workinghard to regain.Overall, the co-op has made a positive impact on the community. As Irvin stated, “Any littleway we can, we give back to the community—there’s a continuing cycle of improving things.”This statement essentially outlines the role that the Akochikan Co-operative Association playsin the community of Pukatawagan.352 ~