Introduction

In this issue, two reviewers provide insight into Engraved on Our Nations: Indigenous Economic Tenacity, edited by long-time academic champions of the Indigenous community, business, and entrepreneurial development, Dr. Wanda Wuttunee and Dr. Fred Wien. The reviewers are Dr. Robert (Bob) Anderson and Chloe Price. In Engraved on Our Nations: Indigenous Economic Tenacity, the editors introduce and focus on the idea of tenacity: a way of describing fierce and persistent determination. That means getting things done with grit and determination. Never quitting, even though the going might get tough. Achieving success, noting that time is of the essence. Other words that help define tenacity include courage, resolution, spirit, relentlessness, and stick-to-it-iveness, along with concepts of moral and mental strength – a strength of purpose. To act tenaciously is to resist opposition and hardship while standing firm in the face of adversity. Dr. Robert A., Professor Emeritus at the University of Regina, calls Fred and Wanda giants of Indigenous economic development, giants who have provided the strong backs on which future scholars and leaders are building their own views of what it means to succeed in economic development. He has witnessed the changes in the theory and practice of Indigenous economic development in Canada, taking time to document these changes in several important books, papers, and presentations. The second reviewer, Chloe Price, a newcomer to this eclectic group, is also one of the newest JAED’s editorial board members. Chloe Price, skúk’rína Kawa_ls (MEd, BBA), comes from syílxˇ, nłekepmx, skwxwú7mesh, n’quatqua, and Kwakiutl communities. She is currently the Administrative Studies Department Chair of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s Administration Studies Programs, offering certificates and diplomas in Administrative Studies, Aboriginal CED, Tourism Management, First Nation Public Administration, Foundations in Innovation and Technology, and Aboriginal Governance and Leadership. Chloe’s review speaks to the educational relevance of this book, especially the value the stories hold for informing and arming future graduates of Indigenous business and economic development. In their book, “Engraved on Our Nations”, Wuttunee and Wien reveal the larger story of Indigenous economic development in historical and contextual terms that are useful to the reader in today’s world. The stories within this collection acknowledge and offer respect to those who came before them. I like that, and I recommend this book to those who want to enter the economic development conversation at a deeper level of engagement. It is awesome and worth the read for so many reasons, one of which is that it will allow readers to find out just what they are looking for when preparing to become more fully informed when discussing the myriad, multi-dimensional, complex, and ever-changing world of Indigenous economic development in Canada.