Indigenous Entrepreneurship, Society, and the Dimensions of Diversity: An Overview of the Canadian National Context

This chapter offers an overview of Indigenous Entrepreneurship (IE) in the national Canadian context and aims to analyze how the diversity among the Aboriginal peoples of Canada in society is managed with regard to entrepreneurship.

Taking into account the scope of diversity, three major dimensions were identified for analysis – (1) the sociocultural dimension, in reference to the worldviews and values of indigenous peoples, (2) the institutional dimension, in reference to the political management of reservations and the Band Council system, and (3) the financial dimension, in reference to the financial opportunities available to indigenous entrepreneurs.

This chapter’s original contribution rests in its critical analysis of IE in Canada, taking into account the history, the process of colonization and the diversities within the diversity.