Releasing indigenous entrepreneurial capacity: a case study of the Yolngu clan in a remote region of Northern Australia

Abstract

A pathway for indigenous people to increase their economic independence is by developing entrepreneurial business engagements. As a strategy to reduce the significant differences between indigenous business aspirations and non-indigenous business participation the Australian Government policy of Aboriginal self-determination encourages the strengthening of partnerships between indigenous and non-indigenous business opportunities. In this paper is reported a partnership between the Yolngu of Arnhem Land and Forestry Tasmania, which is being undertaken in a remote region in the Northern Territory of Australia. This new venture, which is being conducted in an area where there are often insufficient jobs, has the potential to generate a number of mainstream career paths for indigenous people. And while the entrepreneurial project is presenting promising achievements for the Yolngu community investment in a range of managerial business competencies is critical for further development of indigenous self-determination and economic independence.