Kevin Brown

Old Massett Village Council, Haida Gwaii

Kevin Brown is a Climate Action Coordinator for the community of Old Massett, Haida Gwaii, where he was born, raised, and lived most of his life, apart from attending post-secondary education and training for the various positions held, including his current position. Kevin brings a diverse knowledge and experience to his position which includes working for both his Village Council and Senior Government, Council of Haida Nation on Haida Gwaii for the last 40 years. These include Executive Assistant, Land Use Planning Coordinator, Floor Manager Fish Plant, Sous Chef, Exec Director, OMVC Development Corp, Payroll Clerk, Economic Development Officer, Community Fisheries Coordinator, and Salmon Enhancement Manager. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys the beach, racket sports, volleyball, supporting worthy community events, movies, music, hockey, travel, scratch cooking and being an active “Chinni” (grandfather).

Oriana Bee-Johnson

Kwikwasut’inuxw Hax’wamis Nation

Oriana Bee-Johnson is from the Kwikwasut’inuxw Hax’wamis First Nation (KHFN), located on Gilford Island and the Musgamaugw Dzawad’enuxw (Kingcome Inlet). Jamie Pond has mentored and supported Oriana to move from local jobs for the Nation into the Climate Action Coordinator role. One of Oriana’s main projects is working on an off-grid solar-powered community greenhouse, an Indigenous Clean Energy imaGENation-supported project, to enhance the community’s food sovereignty and bring pesticide-free local produce. In her spare time, Oriana likes to explore style and self-expression.

Melissa Cahoose

Ulkatcho First Nation

Melissa Cahoose is a proud Ulkatchot’en passionate about empowering youth and supporting community wellness and vibrancy. She has been working as a Climate Action Coordinator for Ulkatcho since 2023, embracing a new journey in energy sustainability and climate action. Melissa is actively working on many projects that support the implementation of Ulkatcho’s Community Energy Plan and uplift the cultural and traditional values of the community in climate resiliency work. In her spare time, Melissa loves spending time outdoors, hunting, fishing, mushroom picking and picking traditional medicine.

Daniel Cupples

Lhoosk’uz Dene

Daniel is a proud member of the Lhoosk’uz Dene community, where he resides and works approximately 116 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof. The Nation consists of around 230 band members, with about 40 of them residing in the community. His professional background predominantly revolves around heavy industry, with a focus on mining and (management of) construction. While Daniel has consistently prioritized his family’s well-being, a shift toward work that resonates more closely with his values led him to accept a position with the Nation to work on their CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant to transition the community’s primary fuel source from diesel to woodchips. Concurrently, initiatives to mitigate fuel risks from wildfires, install solar panels on homes for reduced power consumption, and explore geothermal energy for an expanding power grid are underway. Plans for eco-friendly housing and greenhouses to bolster food sustainability are also in progress. During his leisure time, Daniel enjoys hiking, playing music, fishing, brewing mead, and cherishing moments with his daughter.

Leona Humchitt

Heiltsuk First Nation

Leona Humchitt is a proud member of the Heiltsuk First Nation and lives in Bella Bella—a remote, isolated community located in the central coast of British Columbia. The population is 2500, with 1300 living on reserve. In 2014, she was elected to the local Heiltsuk Tribal Council to a 4-year term. In 2017, she retired with 27 years pensionable service as Office Manager of the Bella Bella RCMP. She is currently taking SFU’s Executive Masters of Business Administration tailored for Indigenous Business and Leadership and will complete the program in October, 2019. In June 2018, Leona was re-elected to another 4-year term with the Heiltsuk Tribal Council. She and her husband Tom will celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary this year. They have four beautiful daughters – Flora, Kristy, Mercedes and Cheryl, and one son, Thomas Benjamin. Leona and Tommy relish in the new status of being grandparents. Maggie, Cassian, Charlie and Addie are their precious treasures. It’s a whole new level of love and makes her work in leadership that much more meaningful.

Christopher Johnny

Dease River First Nation

Christopher Johnny is currently the Climate Action Coordinator for the Dease River, located in Good Hope Lake, BC. His focus is the Community Energy Plan and the Troutline Creek Hydro Project alongside his manager. Currently Dease River is in the permitting process. Previously, he worked in the mining industry as a mill operator for 12 years, as a big game guide for six years and for the forestry industry as a Forestry Operations Technician for a few years. As the opportunity for him to join the Climate Action Coordinator community presented itself, he left the mining industry to help his community move forward with developing a Community Energy Plan and to help where he could with the Run of the River hydro project that his community is currently pursuing. In his spare time, he overindulges in fishing, travelling, talking to his one and only son Colter on a daily basis through face time and spending every available minute with his spouse Tana.

Hayden Keating

Gitga’at Nation

Hayden Keating is Gitga’at, from the house of Sinaxeet of the Eagle clan, and her traditional name is Woom Hayetsk. In her role as Climate Action Coordinator, Hayden will support the Nation’s goals to reduce diesel dependency and advance key projects like the Gitga’at Power Project and the Water Security Project. Hayden’s looking forward to learning and growing in this career and working alongside the community to support sustainable practices and help protect the territory’s lands and waters. With a background in Indigenous Studies, Hayden understands the connections between culture, land and environmental stewardship. Hayden’s summers working with Pacific Whale Society, a non-profit organization based in Gitga’at territory, sparked a passion for protecting the territory and taking meaningful action on climate change. Such experiences introduced Hayden to clean energy technologies like small hydro and solar photovoltaics that will help guide her work with the Clean Energy Department.

Colleen Lenart

Metlakatla First Nation

New to the North Coast and Tsimshian territory, Colleen is the Climate Action Coordinator for Metlakatla First Nation, a community only accessible by boat in the Great Bear Rainforest approximately 7km from Prince Rupert, BC. She is continuing the good work started in community replacing electric baseboard heaters with home heat pumps to provide community members with healthy, efficient, and more affordable heating and cooling. She is also investigating other home energy efficiency upgrades and preparing to kick off Metlakatla’s Community Energy Planning. During her downtime, Colleen enjoys paddle boarding, walking, and reading a good library book.

Nigel Moore

Uchucklesaht Tribe Government

Nigel Moore is Special Projects Manager, Uchucklesaht Tribe Government (UTG). In this role he manages a portfolio of infrastructure, planning, and other UTG projects including several clean energy and climate action initiatives. Prior to joining the UTG staff in 2023, he worked for Barkley Project Group in Nanaimo, BC as a Project Manager, supporting several indigenous-owned renewable energy projects including solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass energy projects. He has 4 years experience studying the intersection of renewable energy systems and economic and social development as a research program manager at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Sustainable Energy, and has previously held positions in research institutes and think tanks including at the University of Oxford in England, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (now the Research Institute for Sustainability) in Germany, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Waterloo Global Science Initiative in Canada.

Garrett Russ

Skidegate Band Council, Haida Gwaii

Bio to come.

Loretta Williams

Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government

Loretta Williams is Nenqay (Lands) Director for her community of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government. She was in leadership as council from 2013 – 2018. In 2019, Xeni was recognized as having Aboriginal Title over 1900 square kilometres of their traditional territory in Nemiah Valley, west of Williams Lake, BC. The landmark decision, known as the Tsilhqot’in v. British Columbia ruling, established the first time in Canadian history that Aboriginal Title had been confirmed for a specific piece of land. The community is now in a place where they are taking full ownership of their land and resources. Loretta is a mother of three children, aged 20, 25, and 28, and has recently become a grandmother for the first time. She currently resides in Xeni (Nemiah Valley). Xeni is one of six Tsilhqot’in communities and is known as God’s Country, with a backdrop of snowy coastal mountains and beautiful clear lakes, whose caretaker is in the headwaters of the Fraser River. Chilko and Taseko Rivers are destination points for yearly spawning salmon. Loretta loves to practice her Tsilhqot’in culture through language, crafts and harvesting wild game, fish, salmon, and medicines from her traditional territory.

Terry Webber

Nuxalk Nation

Yaw Smatmcuks! Nsta Xuta! Tcamatlhhts alh Snxlhh! Hello friends! Terry Webber is the Clean Energy Director at Nuxalk Nation as well as an Elected Councillor for Nuxalk Nation and Trustee for School District # 49. His Nuxalk name is Xuta. He comes from the village of Snxlhh in Nuxalk Territory. Terry was born and raised in Nuxalk Territory. Terry is currently focused on the Nooklikonnik Run of River, Solar Project, Biomass Project, Heat Pump initiative, Necleetsconnay Trail Project (re-establishing a grease trail to the Dean River) and establishing meaningful education opportunities at the Nation level and the District level.