Panelist

Robin McLeod is a citizen of the Lac La Ronge Indian band and was raised on the land following Woodland Cree customs. He is the acting general manager of Prince Albert Grand Council’s (PAGC) Lands & Resources Secretariat. He is an expert in traditional land use in northern Saskatchewan, gathering Knowledge from Elders and Knowledge Keepers. He has worked with PAGC to develop their Traditional Ecological Knowledge protocol, been involved with Woodland Caribou Habitat Restoration and Recovery, and is part of the PAGC Wildfire Resilience initiative. Robin is a founding member of the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium’s (NBCKC’s) Indigenous Knowledge Circle, and participates in the NBCKC’s Monitoring Working Group, Habitat Restoration Working Group, and Caribou Health Knowledge Network.

 Panelist

Senator Peter Beatty is the former Chief of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN). Beatty was first elected to council in 1993, before being elected to Chief in 2013. He was part of a number of projects and developments, including PBCN taking control of both its family and health services in 1995. Highlights of Beatty’s career include developments created as a result of treaty land entitlement (TLE), including Petro Canada gas stations in Prince Albert and Creighton, and the Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert. A trapper for over 50 years, Senator Beatty grew up on the land and his family lived the traditional lifestyle of the area, hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering. He recently joined the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium’s Indigenous Knowledge Circle to contribute knowledge of woodland caribou and the changes he has seen in wildlife populations over his lifetime.

 Panelist

Walter Andreeff lives in Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) Region 5, Slave Lake. He has knowledge and experience in Indigenous-led land use assessments, familiarity with Métis Nation governance, and direct knowledge of best practices for Indigenous participation, collaboration, and partnership in environmental/impact assessments. Walter has a science degree in Environmental Geology and has worked with Alberta and British Columbia Indigenous communities over the past 20 years. He is a recognized member of the MNA community and a harvester and hunter. He currently works for Region 5 as the Consultation Coordinator and in the past worked in the oil and gas industry for 10 years in several roles liaising with communities. He possesses expertise in Indigenous Métis rights, its intersection with major projects and its relationship to the operation of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Walter is an active participant in the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium’s Indigenous Knowledge Circle, Monitoring Working Group, and Habitat Restoration Working Group.

   Panelist

Matthew Munson is a member of Dené Tha’ First Nation. He has an educational background in the Earth Sciences from the University of Calgary with a focus on the Natural Sciences, Geography, and Native Studies. Matthew is a lead technician with Dené Tha’ First Nation’s Lands Department. He recently joined the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium and its associated Indigenous Knowledge Circle, where his experience working with caribou in his nation’s traditional territory will be an incredible asset. Check out www.bistcholake.ca to learn about the Indigenous Protected and Conserved area, including caribou habitat, that Matthew has been working to establish. 

 Panelist

Lori Neufeld is a Senior Environmental Advisor in Land Use and Biodiversity with Imperial. She is passionate about advancing sustainable development of Canada’s oil and gas industry and is committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples, non-government organizations, academia and all levels of government to advance boreal caribou recovery. She is a member of Canada’s Nature Advisory Committee, the Regional Industry Caribou Collaboration (RICC), and is an industry representative at the main table of the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium (NBCKC). Lori also contributes to the Monitoring Working Group, Habitat Restoration Working Group, Population Management Working Group, and Caribou Health Knowledge Network of the NBCKC. Her work has supported the creation of the first phase of the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park in Alberta that protects over 80,000 ha of caribou habitat in two caribou ranges.

  Panelist

Matthew Boeckner is a Section Head in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC’s) Science and Technology Branch. He has a doctoral degree in biology and in his 15 years with ECCC has worked to enforce environmental laws and develop programs and policies with a focus on species at risk conservation. He is the lead coordinator of the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium.

   Panel Facilitator

Based in Tio'tia:ke (aka Montreal) on the unceded territory of the Kanyen'kehà:ka (aka Mohawk) with her family, Amanda Sheedy has supported grassroots community engagement and planning for over 20 years. She is skilled at designing and facilitating processes to help people think together and develop solutions collaboratively, including across sectors. Her work with Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island spans more than 10 years, supporting Indigenous food sovereignty projects and Indigenous-led planning on food, health, research and conservation. Prior to her work as a consultant, Amanda was the Director of Engagement and Development at Food Secure Canada, a national non-profit where she designed and led national engagements to advance food sovereignty policy through coalitions and networks. With degrees in public health, community economic development and environmental health, Amanda brings a nuanced understanding of how we can work together to shape natural and human systems to create the world we want. Amanda co-leads the National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium’s (NBCKC’s) Indigenous Knowledge Circle and facilitates the NBCKC’s annual meetings.