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ISBN (Print) : 978-1-988426-61-7 | ISBN (Online) : 978-1-988862-15-6

Economic development as a social determinant of First Nations, Inuit and Métis health

February 2020

Indigenous peoples experience a disproportionate burden of ill health compared to the rest of Canada due to the enduring impacts of colonization that have contributed to inequitable social, economic, and environmental conditions in their communities. Economic development provides opportunities for Indigenous communities to generate employment, improve education and skills, increase self-autonomy and self-sufficiency, and address the social conditions that lead to ill health.

This fact sheet explores the landscape for economic development in Indigenous communities, as well as the potential economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of development processes on the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. In Indigenous contexts, economic development strategies must consider both formal, wage-based, economic development processes and informal economic activities based on traditional subsistence economies, as both of these play important roles in the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. The fact sheet also examines barriers to and facilitators of economic development and provides some resources to guide economic development in Indigenous contexts.


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