Pathways Forward reports insights and action items that can advance Indigenous access to investment capital. Enabling greater access to investment capital is a critical step to supporting the Indigenous economy — and advancing economic reconciliation. These insights and action items are based on the inputs of participants who joined facilitated discussions from November 2022 to February 2023. 

On October 25, 2022, Vancouver became the first city in Canada to adopt a formal strategy for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). UNDRIP affirms Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination regarding the development of their economies and economic institutions. However, due to past and present-day colonization, Indigenous Peoples in Canada face significant institutional and structural obstacles to participation in the Canadian economy. In 2017, it was estimated that $83.3B would be required to bring an Indigenous economy into parity with non-Indigenous Canada. 

Dedicated to building a more prosperous and inclusive local economy, the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) adopted a pledge to seek “meaningful reconciliation” with Indigenous Peoples in January 2022. In the spirit of this pledge, VEC, First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC), and SVX Canada convened key Indigenous and nonIndigenous actors, experts, and Knowledge Keepers to understand current challenges and possible solutions to enabling greater access to investment capital for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

View the report’s key insights and pathways moving forward here.