Indigenous Voices |
Indigenous Peoples are Canada’s original forest and conservation professionals, and today, they shape every facet of the sector.
The stories below profile both established Indigenous professionals in the forest and conservation sector and young people who have just begun their green career pathway. They’ve tried different jobs, studied at various levels, and had diverse experiences that have led them to where they are today.
The profiles of Indigenous professionals can also be found in PLT Canada’s A Guide to Green Jobs in Canada: Voices of Indigenous Professionals.
And the Voices of Indigenous Youth can be viewed on this map as well.
Jarvis Bighetty – Opaskwayak Cree Nation Tse’khene Nation
Jarvis Bighetty Opaskwayak Cree Nation Tse’khene Nation Participant, Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP) Jarvis said he was a hungry learner and took advantage of that quality during his time at OYEP in 2020. He would love to become a tree planter, like the staff.
Megan Jackson – McLeod Lake Indian Band Tse’khene Nation
Megan Jackson McLeod Lake Indian Band Tse’khene Nation Participant, Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP) Megan likes being outdoors and seeing the different wildlife walk by. Her favourite part about OYEP is getting close to the new youth, learning about the opportunities in the forest sector, and gaining employable skills. During her two summers there (2019-2020), Megan said she also learned what to expect from different companies and new ways to plant trees.
Emma Berle – McLeod Lake Indian Band Tse’khene Nation
Emma Berle McLeod Lake Indian Band Tse’khene Nation Participant, Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP) Emma enjoyed tree planting at OYEP in 2020, and she learned more about forestry and the many opportunities in the field. Her favourite part was the amazing people she met
Lezane Okimaw – Driftpile First Nation
Lezane Okimaw Driftpile First Nation Participant, Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP) During Lezane’s time at OYEP in 2020, he connected with The Great Trail of Canada, which pro-motes the use and development of the trail at a local level. In 2020, he worked on the trail and helped connect different First Nations across the country.
Judah Berkan – Lac Des Mille Lac First Nation
Judah Berkan Lac Des Mille Lac First Nation Participant, Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP) After spending time with OYEP, Juday worked as an Environmental Assessment Liaison for Golder Associates. As of 2020, he was also part of their Indigenous Engagement team and field crew for the Waasigan Transmission Project’s environmental assessment. Judah said that he would not be where he is today without OYEP’s influence: the exposure to different opportunities in natural resources inspired him to pursue forestry and environmental…
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