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New institute being created to track Indigenous prosperity

First Nations University of Canada setting up the centre with help from two foundations, with goal of collecting data on population, businesses, land and resources
Canadian Press
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a town hall at the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Thursday, April 13, 2023. A new centre to track Indigenous economic prosperity at the First Nations University of Canada is in the works, and will be funded by the McConnel and Mastercard Foundations, the three organizations announced today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

OTTAWA — A new institute is in the works that would track Indigenous economic prosperity in Canada by collecting data on population, businesses, land and resources.

The First Nations University of Canada announced today that it will set up the centre with help from two foundations.

University president Jacqueline Ottmann says Indigenous communities can prosper when they track and manage their own data.

The Mastercard Foundation is putting forward $6 million over five years, while the McConnell Foundation is adding another $1.5 million over the same time frame.

Jennifer Brennan, the director of Canada programs at the Mastercard Foundation, says the institute will show how the country benefits from a strong Indigenous economy.

The 2022 National Indigenous Economic Strategy drafted by 20 Indigenous organizations recommended that the new research body be established to track countrywide data.

The Canadian Press