Join us at 12:30 PDT on October 21st to hear from Gary Pritchard on the intersection of Indigenous rights and the environment.
Aboriginal rights and title, treaty rights, and Indigenous rights are top-of-mind now that Canada and B.C. both have legislation to enact the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Join us to listen and learn a bit more about some ways Indigenous rights support, span, and lead conversations and actions in conservation and restoration.
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, SBC 2019, c 44
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, SC 2021, c 14
About the speaker:
Gary Pritchard ~Giniw (Golden Eagle) is Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario. Gary has had the privilege to work on behalf of Indigenous peoples throughout Ontario and Canada. He has travelled and worked in almost 300 Indigenous communities throughout Canada and the northern United States. He has brought a wealth of knowledge to both his Indigenous and non-Indigenous cliental performing a wide variety of services including: Indigenous Community Planning, land-use/traditional knowledge studies, Indigenous lead conservation and restoration, Ecological Monitoring using Two-eyed Seeing, Indigenous Place-making, capacity building, expert testimony, mediation between western science and traditional science and subject matter expert on behalf of Indigenous communities. Gary loves to connect and educate people through nature. He does this through several mediums. His favourite way is through his wildlife photography and storytelling. He believes that if individuals especially youth can form a connection with nature then all people can make conscious decisions on how we impact Mother Earth and the next seven generations.
Gary likes to spend much of his free time educating the youth about “All Our Relations,” with his most favourite students being his two children. One of Gary’s greatest strength is that he is
often able to be the one who acts as the bridge between the Indigenous Community and the western style of governance. Gary has successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, researchers, institutes, government agencies, Indigenous communities, and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions to environmental related issues.
The purposes of the society are to:
Identify, treat, and monitor
Coordinate ecosystem restoration
Acquire technical information on ecosystem restoration and disseminate it to SERNbc members and stakeholders.
SERNbc’s membership, stakeholders, and other project proponents drive our ecosystem restoration programming. Project ideas are evaluated and prioritized by SERNbc staff and Board of Directors. The restoration objectives for new restoration project must align with SERNbc’s mission and the goals in SERNbc’s strategic plan.
SERNbc requires a Preliminary Application of proposed project before funding can be considered.
Creation of large level landscape level restoration plans through collaboration with First Nations, Government, Industry, local communities and stakeholders
Over 1000ha of terrestrial habitat restoration that benefits species, ecosystems and local communities through the use of prescribed burned, mechanical and manual thinning, and tree planting initiatives
Over 200km of stream restoration through fish passage restoration
Over 200km of road restoration and counting
