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

~ T H E P O T E N T I A L F O R G R O W T HThe authors recommend that the committee consider how policy directives, information, andexperiences concerning co-operative developments among Aboriginal peoples can be regularlyand systematically exchanged; how it could ensure that the meetings of ministers and officialsresponsible for co-operatives consider Aboriginal co-operatives regularly; and how collaborationwith the sector could be enhanced.Recommendation SevenThe Aboriginal Co-operative Co-ordinating Committee should considerhow greater co-ordination of all levels of government and government/sectorinitiatives for Aboriginal co-operative development might be achieved on acontinuing basis. It should co-ordinate its approach with the developmentprogrammes of the Canadian Co-operative Association and the ConseilCanadien de la Coopération.In fact, the development of the co-operative alternative among Aboriginal people appears to bean area where some special efforts at intra-governmental, inter-governmental, and government/sector co-ordination are required. While the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is clearly thelead ministry, other federal ministries, particularly in economic development and the healthfields, are also important, especially when one considers nonreserve and nonstatus Aboriginalpeoples. On a provincial level, as the report on provincial initiatives demonstrates, the potentiallyrelevant policies and programmes are spread across several departments.Looking at the possibilities for future development, particularly in training, education, andpromotion of co-operatives, the experiences of the Arctic co-operatives and their federationsshould be utilized whenever possible. There is no need to reinvent what has already been welldeveloped. There should be some advantages of scale; there is much that Arctic and southernAboriginal peoples can learn from each other.Recommendation EightThe Arctic federations of co-operatives should be consulted in the futuredevelopment of training/education/promotion programmes. They have differingexperiences and traditions, and many years of experience that should be usedfor the benefit of all Aboriginal co-operatives.The Need for Further ResearchFurther ResearchThis report has demonstrated the need for additional research. We believe this research shouldbe undertaken by people with academic training coming from an Aboriginal background. The~ 59