Our Mission
The Tulo Centre is the applied research and training home for Indigenous jurisdiction and institutional innovation. We work with Indigenous groups across Canada and the world to improve our people’s capacity, momentum, and economic reality.
Our Vision
To improve the income, education, and overall wellbeing of our citizens through institutional innovations that support economic development and wealth creation on First Nations land.
Our programs give you the innovative tools that will serve Indigenous communities for generations.
Our university accredited programs are known for their exceptional quality and progressive knowledge.
Building up First Nations
First Nations have a long and successful history of trade and markets spanning thousands of years into the past.
Then in 1876, the Indian Act appeared--a document written in part to assimilate First Nations into Canadian culture. This legislation barred First Nations from participating in the economy in the same way as the settlers.
From then on, while Canadian settlers developed modern markets supporting legislative and administrative frameworks, First Nations were denied access and growth. Now, First Nations land is under-valued and under-developed, with fewer economic opportunities therein.
But that is not where the story ends.
First Nations still hold a competitive advantage. We hold the location, the human resources, the innovative strengths and the access to natural resources so vital in today's economy. If we can bring together the legal and administrative framework, the door for First Nation economic prosperity will be flung open.
Tulo levers modern legislation like the First Nations Fiscal Management Act to move away from The Indian Act and empower First Nations. In the next decade, The Tulo Centre will help many First Nations to build these legal and administrative systems that support competitive markets on First Nation lands. What comes next--building infrastructure, leveraging assets, and more--will be up to them. And you.
Our Beginnings
Tulo started to solve a problem. The problem is that, while a number of First Nations would like to develop their lands, many of them cannot because under the current system it costs four to six times more to develop First Nation lands than it does to develop non-First Nation lands.
C.T. Manny Jules, Chief Commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission, founded the Tulo Centre in 2008, after a ten-year research project aimed at understanding how to support the development of First Nation economies and help expand the First Nation property tax base. The research was also undertaken to support the evolution of the Indian Taxation Advisory Board (ITAB) into the First Nations Tax Commission. This project provided systematic study into the role of the public sector in accounting for the inadequate First Nation investment climate.
From that decade-long project, the Tulo Centre was established to transfer the knowledge, sample laws and administrative best practices to First Nations, eliminating their competitive disadvantage so they can begin to leverage their competitive advantages in the market.
At Tulo, we want to share our knowledge and experience to ensure a better future for First Nations.
Participation in the Economy
Five premises form the foundation for the mission and helps First Nations in Canada, and all indigenous populations in the Americas, participate more fully in the economy:
An important cause of First Nation economic underdevelopment is that the costs of doing business on many First Nation lands are at least four to six times higher than they are off First Nation lands. This reduces private investment and contributes to First Nation disparities.
These high costs of doing business are mainly a result of First Nations not being able to develop the legal and administrative frameworks and the necessary infrastructure to support markets because the Indian Act has effectively froze First Nation institutional development for the last 140 years.
Recent legislation such as the First Nations Fiscal Management Act and the First Nations Land Management Act provide an opportunity for First Nations to create competitive markets on their lands, generate economic growth, build infrastructure, increase confidence in their governments and raise their own revenues to achieve their community objectives.
There is a demand from First Nations and indigenous groups for practical training and accredited education on how to realize the economic benefits from recent First Nation legislation that few education programs are currently providing.
There is a demand from the private sector to work more closely with First Nations and indigenous groups on economic opportunities, especially in the resource sector.
The name “Tulo”
Historically, Chinook was the language of trade used by First Nations on the west coast of the Americas.
"Tulo" is the Chinook word for “earned profit”.
At the Tulo Centre of Indigenous Economics, we are sharing the language of economic prosperity.
The Tulo Centre Logo
The eagle has a high enough vantage point to see future potential and opportunities, leading others on the path of strength and wisdom. Tulo, grounded in history, strives to be an institution that offers education opportunities, imparting experience, creating capacity and leading the way to rebuild the First Nation market economy.
Contact us.
We’ would love to hear from you.
TULO CENTRE OF INDIGENOUS ECONOMICS
321-345 Chief Alex Thomas Way
Kamloops, BC V2H 1H1
Tel: 250-828-9857
Fax: 250-828-9858
Email: info@tulo.ca