Aboriginal Economic Development and the Triple Bottom Line: Toward a Sustainable Future? [Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development, JAED]

"Almost a decade after the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP, 1996) - an international decade dedicated by the United Nations to Indigenous People - it is timely to reflect on the state of the Aboriginal economy, on what has been achieved in Aboriginal economic development, how success is measured, and what barriers persist. Although the current wave of globalization has done much to undermine traditional livelihoods and destabilize communities by valuing market relations over social and other relations, it has also been the impetus for renewed interest in sustainability, alternative (or alternatives to) development strategies, discourses, and performance indicators that put community values at the centre of things. Within the broader domain of Aboriginal economic development, this essay considers the colonial history of mainstream accounting measures and assesses initiatives associated with the triple bottom line - economic, environmental, and social performance measures. In particular, this essay dis- cusses (a) what triple bottom line reporting might offer Aboriginal economic development and (b) what Aboriginal values and practices might add to thinking on the triple bottom line to make such measures more supportive of sustainable futures for all of us."