Why is it so difficult to attract private investment on First Nation lands?
A typical First Nation community must commit three times as much revenue to finance the same amount of infrastructure as a typical Canadian community. Governments use their infrastructure and services to stimulate industrial, commercial, and residential development in their jurisdiction. A typical First Nation attracts only one-third as much new investment for each dollar of infrastructure improvement as a typical Canadian community. This means that in a typical Canadian community, $1000 in property tax revenues brings $30,000 into the local economy, while in a typical First Nation community, the same $1000 generates only $3,000 or one-tenth the wealth.
