by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 22/97) - A pilot project to help aboriginal businesses get established internationally is into its third year.

And the federal government is assessing if these types of projects meet the needs of aboriginal companies, says Steven Bigras, a spokesman with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

Altogether, 25 aboriginal companies have been on trade missions and four to an international trade fair in Germany in August under the project, and they are now being surveyed for feedback, he says.

Even though the Frankfurt fair focused on arts and crafts, aboriginal firms are active in many sectors of the economy, including forest products, technology, knowledge-based services, tourism, high fashion, engineering, construction and many others.

Three federal departments co-operated to make it possible for aboriginal businesses to participate in the Frankfurt fair, called Tendence '97, including Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Indian and Northern Affairs and Industry (through Aboriginal Business Canada).

Miriam Wall of Aboriginal Business Canada is the key contact for Germany's show, and she says the three departments funded space rental, and helped with design and manufacture of the booths. Aboriginal businesses cost-shared with the government to pay their way overseas.

"There were 40 countries there. It's the largest international giftware show in Europe," she says.