What role do Indigenous peoples play in Canada's economy?

Indigenous peoples participate in the Canadian economy as workers, business owners, resource managers, and rights-holders whose treaty and constitutional rights shape natural-resource development. Statistics Canada's 2021 census counted more than 850,000 Indigenous people in the workforce, with growing presence in mining, oil and gas, forestry, fisheries, construction, tourism, and the cultural and creative industries. The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business reports more than 60,000 Indigenous-owned businesses across the country.

Treaty rights and Aboriginal title give Indigenous nations a legally protected role in resource decisions on their lands. The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed Aboriginal title in Delgamuukw v. British Columbia (1997) and recognised it for the first time in Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia (2014). The duty to consult and accommodate, set out in Haida Nation v. British Columbia (2004), requires governments to engage Indigenous communities before approving projects that affect their rights.

Modern treaties and self-government agreements give signatory nations significant economic powers. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement of 1975, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement of 1993, and the Nisga'a Final Agreement of 2000 transfer land, royalties, and decision-making to Indigenous governments. The federal Indigenous Procurement Strategy commits to directing at least 5 per cent of federal contracts to Indigenous businesses by 2024-2025.

Indigenous-led tourism, anchored by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, contributed $1.9 billion to Canadian GDP and supported 39,000 jobs before the pandemic. First Nations-led equity stakes in projects like the Coastal GasLink pipeline (2020), the Cedar LNG terminal in Kitimat (2023), and the Trans Mountain Expansion mark a shift toward equity participation rather than royalty-only arrangements.