CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY

NITA is an Aboriginal non-profit association formed in 1989. The organization is dedicated to encouraging Aboriginal self-reliance by promoting participation in mainstream enterprise. NITA is committed to improving the lives or ordinary Aboriginal folk, Canadians or people by “investing in self-reliance” (NITA's motto) through strengthening Aboriginal participation in the economy. Since its inception, NITA has operated independent of any core government funding and has sought through its operation to be an example of Aboriginal self-sufficiency. Taken as a whole, NITA is a communications organization with the ability to reach and encourage constructive dialogue and direct business activity with every sector of the Aboriginal community.


ASSOCIATION GOALS

In particular, NITA works towards creating a healthier climate between Aboriginal Canada and the business community by promoting mutual understanding through communication, partnerships and joint ventures. Throughout its history, NITA has emphasized the critical importance of increasing Aboriginal employment and participation in the mainstream economy. The importance of this goal has recently become more widely acknowledged by Corporate Canada and Government (additional pages). Specifically, general awareness is growing that the nation's future health and prosperity rests to a significant extent on strengthening Aboriginal participation in the mainstream economy. The impacts of declining birth rates and the impending retirement of an aging skilled work force underscores the need to involve and utilize the rapidly growing, young Aboriginal working age population in the economy of Canada. This looming economic imperative requires that all sectors of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canada (businesses, unions and governments) work together on a strategy to constructively unleash the under-utilized human capital in Aboriginal Canada. This is not simply an altruistic, community-minded effort to improve the lives of a new generation of Aboriginal youth (even though this is desperately needed), but a necessity if a future skills shortage and a possible major potential disruption to economic growth in Canada is to be prevented.


GOODS AND SERVICES PROVIDED

One of NITA's main activities is producing events of national Aboriginal importance--conferences, trade shows and business forums. The association has produced more than 80 successful and rewarding national and international events including 15 major trade shows. NITA also offers its conference planning expertise to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations and to provincial and federal authorities wishing to create a constructive dialogue with Aboriginal Canada.

Through training and education, and by facilitating open discourse between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal business world, NITA provides guidance and advice to organizations across Canada. In particular, NITA works with parties seeking to increase Aboriginal employment, business and related industrial or commercial opportunities. NITA has signed a Protocol Accord with the National Aboriginal Business Association and the Assembly of First Nations to support and promote economic development on a national level.

Twenty thousand bands, firms, and individuals are on NITA's growing database--a highly specific contact list collected and defined throughout its 14 year history. NITA holds 10 or more conferences, seminars and trade shows a year on a wide variety of matters of critical importance to Aboriginal Canada's future, including: law, taxation, natural resources, human resources, finance, women's issues, agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, tourism, high-technology and telecommunications.


OTHER

In addition to its conference activities, NITA has embarked on a number of projects (mostly on its own account but sometimes at the request of corporations, or provincial and federal government departments). These projects include:

• Formation of the NITA National Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Scholarship and Bursary Fund to assist Aboriginal students wishing to pursue a career in the realm of business and enterprise.
  
  
• The British Columbia, Prairie Region, and the Ontario Region Aboriginal Business Directories.
  
  
• Canada's first online national Aboriginal business directory, NITAnet Aboriginal Pages Directory, which includes highly useful direct online connection to Aboriginal websites and email addresses.
  
  
• The launch of its new high-trafffic Aboriginal business portal which will feature a variety of highly valuable and useful products and services which will be available to the Aboriginal Canada.
  
  
• NITA's Web site, which features a conference calendar, conference agendas, a national publications resource library catalogue.
  
  
• A StatsCan project to prepare an advisory business/entrepreneurial series of Web pages as guidance to new Aboriginal business
  
  
• The promotion of trade between the Maori and Canadian Aboriginals.
  
  
  
• An invitation for NITA to present, on behalf of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the first Aboriginal seminars on the commission's report, in Toronto and Vancouver
  
  
• The planning of seminars to promote federal procurement strategies to Aboriginal business.