Building Aboriginal Economic Development Capacity: The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers

Introduction The experience of Aboriginal peoples in North America with globalization (or at least something very like it) is not simply a feature of the current era. It began some five centuries ago, upon first contact with Europeans. The negative impact has been well documented: socially cohesive communities have suffered severe dislocation. What receives less attention, but is more important, is the degree of cohesion that remains and the burning desire among Aboriginal people to rebuild their communities on this foundation. Remarkably, they intend to do this by participating in the global economy, but on their own terms. Business development (that is, entrepreneurship) and participation in the workforce lie at the heart of their approach to this participation. One organization, the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), is playing a key role in the development of the entrepreneurial capacity that is essential to successful participation in the global economy. This chapter describes the activities of CANDO, in particular its development of a national training and professional certification program for economic development officers working for Aboriginal communities and organizations. It places CANDO’s success in the latest thinking on capacity-building. The material that follows is presented in three sections. The first sets out the context in which Aboriginal economic development activities are taking place. It does so by briefly describing the current socio-economic circumstances of Aboriginal people and their response to these circumstances – participation in the global economy through business development. The second section consists of a brief overview of development theory as it has evolved (albeit with considerable delay) in response to the emergence of the global economy. Of particular significance is the role of entrepreneurship and capacity-building as the vehicle for effective participation in the global economy. The second section closes with a shift to things Aboriginal as we consider ways in which Aboriginal people can manage the development process and its essential institutions and activities in order to obtain their objectives. The final section looks at the emergence of one Aboriginal institution – the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers – and its activities in support of Aboriginal entrepreneurship and economic development.