Lennard Joe, RPF – Scw’exmx, Shackan Indian Band

Stuwix Resources is a fibre management and marketing company. It is owned jointly by eight First Nations Bands in British Columbia. Stuwix Resources, an SFI-certified organization, incorporates First Nation cultural and traditional practices throughout all stages of its sustainable forest management. Lennard is the general manager of Stuwix Resources Joint Venture. 

Stuwix Resources is an SFI-certified organization.

Lennard’s story is included in A Guide to Green Jobs in Canada: Voices of Indigenous Professionals.

Download the guide

LENNARD’S LOVE OF NATURE COMES FROM…

“I grew up as a cowboy on a ranch in B.C. I was in the bush all the time and I’ve always been comfortable outside. My love for nature grew from there.”

LENNARD BECAME A FORESTER BECAUSE…

“I come from a logging family, but I wasn’t thinking about being a forester growing up. Many of my family members attended residential schools. Even by the 1980s, none had gone to university. I was more interested in hockey but knew I was better off in school.”

“I first wanted to be a park ranger but realized there were no parks near my community. My next choice was wildlife biology. While earning a wildland recreation diploma from Selkirk College, I had a summer job doing stream research, working with biologists. When I saw what they were doing, I wanted to do it too.”

“They guided me to the University of British Columbia, where I completed a degree in natural resources conservation. A forestry job came up, and I realized I could use my conservation background to make a positive impact in forestry. I’ve been a registered professional forester (RPF) ever since.”

TO LENNARD, BEING INDIGENOUS IN A GREEN JOB  MEANS…

“I noticed how many logging trucks were going through the community and asked myself, “Why are none of them ours?” The community came together, and we built Stuwix Resources. Now, First Nations individuals, companies, and communities are participating in and helping care for all that the forest has to offer. First Nations are no longer just a stakeholder. Now we have opportunities to start influencing change at the larger level and creating an environment in which others can grow and succeed. ”