Lecture
Video recording: The Economic Legacy of Colonialism Among Indigenous Populations in North America
Program slides: Part 1, Part 2
Abstract
Until recently, economists have largely excluded Indigenous peoples from economic research; however, economics provides a powerful toolkit that can be used to understand the legacy of colonialism, the impact of contemporary policies, as well as potential avenues for future prosperity. This talk will discuss the growing economic literature that centers Indigenous communities and peoples. We will begin with a discussion of how historical events, including colonial processes, have shaped the current economic landscape. Moving into the present, we will survey papers that attempt to provide causal estimates of contemporary policies. Lessons from the past and present will be discussed throughout. We will conclude by pointing out some of the limitations of economic research in this space. In keeping with the theme of the conference, we will highlight work that focuses on human capital acquisition.
Biography
Maggie Jones is an associate professor in the department of economics at McGill University and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research intersects economic history and labor economics, where she has two broad goals: to understand the institutional roots of socioeconomic inequalities in North America; and to provide empirical evidence on the impacts of policies intended to aid marginalized populations and the barriers to their effectiveness. Using insights from economic theory and econometric techniques, she analyzes administrative data, as well as new datasets that she compiles from primary sources. Her portfolio concentrates mostly on two thematic areas: the legacy of colonization among Indigenous populations, and the economics of the Civil Rights Era.