First Nations are endeavoring to develop their economic infrastructure. This program will provide key foundational skills and knowledge for building their economic infrastructure. The knowledge and skills acquired through the program will produce human capital that will yield long term benefits in terms of developing residential and commercial enterprises on First Nation lands. After an introduction to basic microeconomics and macroeconomic principles, students will be exposed to First Nation’s issues as they relate to market failure and poverty. Knowledge will be gained to enable the reduction of the transaction costs of doing business on First Nation lands in order to promote and facilitate investment activity. Specific knowledge will focus on residential and commercial development on First Nation lands. Furthermore, the program provides basic skills for conducting and understanding cost-benefit analysis as well as that of writing and presenting reports for investment proposals.
This program has the following admission requirements:
Students not meeting the above admission requirements can take courses for which they have prerequisites and start the Certificate on a conditional basis. Students can take courses that have no pre-requisites and at the same time upgrade their required math, English and computer skills.
It is recommended that students who are non-aboriginal undertake other courses outside the program as electives. In particular, the aboriginal studies certificate offered at TRU provides a set of courses which give the student exposure in the history, culture, social and geographic dimensions of First Nations people.
Introduction to Basic Economics (ECON 122) OR Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 190) OR Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 195) Business, Professional, and Academic Composition (ENGL 181) Issues in Aboriginal Economics (ECON 263) Residential and Commercial Development on First Nation Lands (ECON 264) Investment Facilitation on First Nation Lands (ECON 265) Economic Feasibility and Impact Analysis on First Nation Lands (ECON 270)
English 181 teaches the theory and the practice of successful academic, business and professional composition; the similarities and differences involved in writing for business and academic purposes; and the research and documentation skills involved in both. Pre-requisite: 73% on the combined English 12 and Government exam (within the last five years), or Level 4 on the composition section of the LPI (within the last two years), or completion of ENGL 060, or completion of CESL 053, CESL 054 and CESL 057 with a grade of C+ or better.
A course designed to help students build a basic understanding of economic principles and issues without highlighting economic theory and modelling. Successful students of this course will be able to understand and discuss economic issues at the level covered by the media. Note: Students will not receive credit for ECON 122 unless it has been completed prior to earning a grade of "C-" or better in either ECON 190 or ECON 195. However, students who have taken either Econ 190 or Econ 195 will get an exemption from taking Econ 122. Pre-requisite: None.
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the First Nations’ economic issues. Examples of the types of issues that will be covered are: 1) what are the economic reasons for First Nations’ poverty? 2) why are there so many incidents of market failures within First Nations? 3) is there an economic rationale for implementing First Nations’ rights and title? and 4) is a third order of government economically feasible for First Nations? This course will benefit the student interested in First Nations’ issues, the student interested in working with First Nations, and any student interested in international trade or business ventures where indigenous interests may be involved. Pre-requisite: ECON 122 or ECON 190 or ECON 195 (grades of C- or better), or permission of the instructor
This course provides an overview of how to conduct residential and commercial development on First Nation lands. It will focus on case studies of successful First Nation residential and commercial developments. It will include how to do developments using the Indian Act, the First Nation Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, and the First Nation Land Management Act. The course will also provide students with a series of model laws, agreements and systems that support residential and commercial development on First Nation lands. Pre-requisites: None
It is four to six time more expensive to facilitate investment on First Nation lands than it is off First Nation lands. This course is about what causes these higher costs and what can be done to reduce these costs. It will introduce the concept of transaction costs. It will discuss how private and public investment work together to create economic growth. The course will focus on the interests of investors and what First Nations can do to facilitate investment on their lands. It will be of interest to both First Nations and interested investors. Pre-requisite: ECON 122 (grade of C- or better) Co-requisite: ECON 263
An introduction to cost-benefit analysis as it relates to investment activity on first nation’s land. In order to understand cost-benefit analysis students will acquire skills and knowledge on the time value of money as well as basic statistical concepts. The course will be delivered using real case studies as it relates to first nations projects. Pre-requisite: Grades of C+ or better in Math 11 or Applications of Math 12, or MATH 051, or equivalent; ECON 122 (grade of C- or better) or ECON 190 or ECON 195 (grade of C- or better)
