For the purposes of this course, a regional economy is the range of economic activity in the geographic area around a modern treaty territory. In the past regional economies were defined by natural ecosystems and features such as rivers and mountains, as well as language and cultural similarities. Today, regional economies are just as likely to be defined by provincial and territorial boundaries, as well as road and air access.

Many modern treaty communities are in rural or remote locations that do not have flourishing or diversified economies.

Modern treaty organizations are powerful actors for economic activity: they own significant amounts of land, manage settlement trusts for the benefit of their members, and have policy and governance roles. In terms of creating a positive environment for business activity, modern treaties provide a range of opportunities from starting businesses through development corporations, to supporting education and training programs, negotiating Impact Benefit Agreements and enacting procurement policies.