Benchmarking Trends In Aboriginal Forestry

Abstract

The forest has long been a central component of the culture of Aboriginal Canadians, and opportunities for economic development in Aboriginal forestry are emerging in several areas. The amount of forest assets managed by Aboriginal peoples has been increasing as well as the types of business relationships Aboriginal peoples are engaged in are expanding. However, the development of Aboriginal capacity in the forest sector is varied. The educational and skill-levels of Aboriginal workers in forestry is improving, but the average age of the Aboriginal workforce has steadily increased, which reflects a rapidly aging underlying demographic. While the median total income for Aboriginal workers in the forest sector has increased, the number of Aboriginal workers in the forest sector has steadily declined. Further, average income drastically varies depending on whether an individual is on or off-reserve. The earnings of off-reserve Aboriginal forestry workers are very close to those of their non-Aboriginal counterparts, while on-reserve forestry workers are earning less than half of what non-Aboriginals make. Benchmarking these trends is important as it facilitates the continued tracking of the role of Aboriginal peoples in the forest sector as it changes and new areas of opportunity develop.