Native American Entrepreneurship: A Call for New Definitions?

I found Chapters 7 and 8 in Rebuilding Native Nations to be incredibly interesting, because I have done a lot of research on entrepreneurial ecosystems and entrepreneurship as a catalyst for economic development. I believe that the textbook should have defined entrepreneurship before applying it to Indian reservations.

The OECD has proposed such internationally accepted definitions: entrepreneurs are those persons or business owners who seek to generate value, through the creation or expansion of economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, processes, or markets. Entrepreneurial activity is the enterprising human action in pursuit of the generation of value, through the creation or expansion of economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, processes, or markets (Ahmad & Seymour, 9). 

Based on these definitions, entrepreneurs are often characterized by innovation and creative disruption with the market entry of their firm or product. Should Native Americans who open basic independent businesses that support reservation life (for example: grocery or convenience stores, auto body shops, hair salons, etc.) be considered entrepreneurs? This seems like an interesting debate question. Maybe a business that does not seem innovative to greater society--and yet is the first in market on a reservation--is entrepreneurial in regards to Indian reservations. These independent, citizen-owned enterprises certainly can generate wealth, employment, and economic diversity. In my opinion, an Indian who opens an independent business that is unique (and perhaps first in market) on the reservation, and creates employment and wealth, should be characterized as an entrepreneur.      

Bibliographic Source for the Definitions:

Ahmad, Nadim and Seymour, Richard G. “Defining Entrepreneurial Activity:

Definitions Supporting Frameworks for Data Collection.” OECD Statistics, January 2008, www.oecd.org/std/business-stats/39651330.pdf.