(OTTAWA) Federal International Trade Minister Mary Ng said Thursday she wants Indigenous peoples, who after all have been the very foundation of trade in Canada, to benefit more from international free trade agreements.
Posted at 4:07 p.m.
At a ceremony in Ottawa with Indigenous Peoples from across Canada and New Zealand, Minister Ng announced that Canada is joining the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement with Indigenous Peoples. Membership in this international business forum is intended to help First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses find new opportunities around the world, the Minister said.
There are over 50,000 Aboriginal-owned businesses in Canada, contributing nearly $30 billion to the economy each year.
Minister Ng argues that by joining the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement, more Indigenous entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from free trade agreements, while sharing their know-how with Indigenous businesses around the world .
Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, the first Mi’kmaq MP elected to Parliament, says this agreement will incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and is not just about making profits, but protecting lands and resources.
Mr. Battiste, who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, believes that joining this agreement is “an important step towards economic reconciliation, which will benefit many communities and many Aboriginal businesses”.