The New Sexy: Indigenomics. A Tribute to Carol Ann Hilton
Carol Ann Hilton's Avatar on Twitter
To the best of my knowledge, Carol Ann Hilton coined the term "Indigenomics". Through her work supporting Aboriginal economic development, and through her social media work on Twitter as @Hesquiaht , Hilton is helping many of us in the world of Canadia business to come to grips with the need to transcend negativity and get positive and active about transformative business investment with Canadian Aboriginal communities (on Twitter, search on #Indigenomics).
Hilton asks: What do you get when you mix industry, Aboriginal peoples, best practise and CSR? Answer: Transformation. She sums this up as Indigenomics. She also says "it's the new sexy".
Without using the word Indigenomics, a very important Globe and Mail article was published on Monday, April 11, 2011, trumpeting Indigenomics to the business world:
A new development model gains steam in aboriginal communities
The article, by Bill Curry, provides a picture of the positive new business realities in Canada - a focus on what's working for business with Aboriginal communities.
Former Prime Minister Paul Martin is featured - a person who puts his money where his mouth is. He's started a $50 million venture capital fund, that includes $2.5 million of his own money, to stimulate business investment in Aboriginal ventures. He says that a policy for "tax breaks for social enterprise investments would make a big difference."
Helping me feel that I have not lost my sanity with my passion for Indigenomics, the Globe article covers some of the ground I've covered in this blog:
the First Nations Land Management Act,
the relationship between Canada's resource extraction economies and investments in the communities and people who drive our remote communities,
Aboriginal consultation with respect to the Supreme Court of Canada decisions on the "Duty to Consult & Accommodate",
creative and courageous Aboriginal investments (some I've covered include KNET, Rotary and water quality, mineral taxation revenue sharing in BC )
People with a passion for Aboriginal investment (like Tony Belcourt, described in my Confessions About My First Tweet-up post and Donna Morton, described in my post about Hesquiaht which could be the first community in Canada that is 100% reliable on renewable energy
But neither the Globe article nor my blog words come close to Carol Ann Hilton's words. She uses tweets of 140 characters or less, almost like haikus, for some memorable quotes about #Indigenomics, and related topics. I bow to her eloquence:
First economy, the economy of values, of relationship, of giving, of sharing- the indigenous experience 10,000 years+ and counting
what does corporate social responsibility look like when First Nations people are included?
indigenous economy exists outside confines of all we know about economy- it exists within relationship to ourselves, each other, the earth
Transformation-engaging industry to create environment and vision to participate in global economy with aboriginal values
Twittering from the far edge of the universe- where I can observe and make it happen!
Transformation: Social and Economic Development- uniting culture and business
indigenous economy- really the increasing presence of ' I am', and 'we are' in the lasting connection with the territory
Happening now? A gathering of strength really, as Aboriginal people find place in industries, development and economy! No feather heads here
restorative economy~ restorative relationships
paying attention to the subtleties of economy and sovereignty
Systematic economic disadvantage and mal investment practises- perfect platform for Corporate Social Responsibility- who's in?
What wld our province be if it had 'Innovative' in the title of all its ministries- MARR? Mines and Energy? Children and Families?
Thanked your local FN [First Nation] on whom your home is built on? Included FN's in Chamber of Commerce, on whom your business is built on? Just saying
true democracy does not exist within the Indian Act
