On April 27, 2006, BC First Nations, through the First Nations Leadership Council, established the First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC) to provide support to BC First Nations with respect to forestry-related matters. The FNFC evolved out of the Interim Mountain Pine Beetle Working Group, established in 2005 to coordinate a First Nations response to the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. The Pine Beetle crisis made clear the need for a province wide First Nations forestry organization.
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Our Mission:
- Support First Nations communities in managing mountain pine beetle epidemic through implementation of the BC First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan including addressing development and capacity issues at the community level
- Work with governments and others to ensure that First Nations needs, values, and principles are factored into forestry-related policy and program development, including monitoring, evaluating, influencing and providing policy advice and research
- Promote forestry-related opportunities for First Nations
- Provide effective communications to First Nations, governments and the general public with respect to forestry-related matters and the mountain pine beetle infestation
- Work with partner organizations, such as the First Nations Leadership Council and others, to increase efficiencies and benefits to First Nations communities
- Advocate on forestry matters on behalf of First Nations communities
History
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A First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle Working Group was struck to work with governments and others to implement the First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan. In 2006, this Working Group was firmly established as the BC First Nations Forestry Council.
Governance
The First Nations Forestry Council is governed by a board of directors composed of: representatives from the First Nations Summit, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and the BC Assembly of First Nations. The FNFC is politically accountable to the First Nations Leadership Council, and the First Nations of BC.
Meet our Board of Directors
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Leonard Thomas has been involved in politics with the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and the Nak’azdli First Nation for 23 years acting as Chief, Councillor, and Vice Tribal Chief.
His role in forestry spans a similar history and he was influential in the development of one of the most successful First Nations forestry joint ventures in Canada. Tl'oh Forest Products is a value-added finger joint mill owned by the Nak’azdli First Nation that employs more than 60 First Nations people. A parallel company called Nakalkoh Timber also employs band members. This company holds four forest licenses. The above companies are governed by Nak’azdli Development Corporation and the board is Chaired by Leonard Thomas.
Leonard was one of the Carrier Sekani Chiefs that was a catalyst behind the First Nations Mountain Pine Beetle meeting in Prince George in September 2005. This meeting led to his appointment by the First Nations Leadership Council to the Interim Mountain Pine Beetle Working Group. This Working Group has since evolved into the First Nations Forestry Council.
Other positions:
- Board of Director – Northwest Tribal Treaty Group
- Board of Director – First Nations Forestry Council
- Board of Director – BC Capacity Initiative
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Elected to the First Nations Forestry Council in 2008, Ta-lall-SHAM-cane siyam, Bill Williams, has served as an elected member of the Squamish First Nation Council since 1980, and as a member of the community’s Hereditary Council since 1995. Throughout his political career Chief Williams has played a leadership role among First Nations by successfully blending business and conservation efforts.
Notably, Chief Williams is the current President of the North West Forest Company which holds the Timber forest License for the Squamish Nation. In this capacity, Williams successfully negotiated Squamish control of 80% of the allowable cut in Squamish Territory. He is also currently negotiating for Squamish mangament of sixteen area parks and has been instrumental in the development of a land use plan for the entire Squamish territory. On a regional level, Chief Williams serves as the appointed Vice-President of the British Columbia Native Forestry Association, and was awarded the 2005 Eugene Rogers Award for Leading Conservation Efforts by Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
As President of the Four Host First Nations Society Williams is working hard alongside the Tsleil-waututh, Musqueam, and Lil’wat Nation’s to ensure the meaningful involvement of First Nations in the 2010 Olympic and para-Olympic games. Finally, as a part of the Whistler Legacy Society, Chief Williams is providing direction on environmentally sound, economically sustainable post-Olympic planning.
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Chief Retasket is serving a third term as Chief for the Bonaparte Indian Band, Shuswap Nation, and is currently serving his second, 3 year, term as Secretary-Treasurer with the British Columbia Union of Indian Chiefs. He also sits on the boards of the BC Leadership Council, and the BC First Nations Forestry Council.
Recently nominated for the Order of Canada, Chief Retasket has made significant contributions into many areas of aboriginal issues of title and rights, forestry, culture, education, economic, environment, forestry, and leadership, social and aboriginal tourism.
An accomplished speaker, Chief Retasket is noted for his eloquence in articulating the Aboriginal perspective that is critical in dealing with issues of forestry, fisheries and the environment. A champion for traditional knowledge and cultural values, Chief Retasket encourages others to fight for the environment- “Don’t ever be afraid to speak for the protection of Nature, for when it is man against nature, nature will win every time.”
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David Walkem is the Vice-Chair of the Nicola Similkameen Innovative Forestry Society (NSIFS), which, since 1997, oversees the planning for 6 Innovative Forestry Practices Agreements (IFPA) held by major licencees in the Merritt Timber Supply Area.
David was the first Status Indian in BC to become an RPF in 1985, and is President of a new forest company called Stuwix Resources Joint Venture that manages a 515,000 m3/year forest licence for 8 shareholder Indian Bands. David has been the Chief of the Cook’s Ferry Indian Band since 1990 and oversees the Band’s participation in two other joint ventures on 2 non-replaceable forest licences with local industry in Merritt and Lytton. In addition David was involved in the establishment of two value added businesses relating to the forest licences, a log home building business – Eagles Nest Log Homes, and a bird feeder business – Creative Native Designs.
David is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with an MBA and the University of BC with a Bachelors of Science in Forestry. In 2001 he was the recipient of the ‘Forester of the Year’ award from the Association of BC Professional Foresters.
In 2007 Chief Walkem was awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Environment category for “building communication bridges with developers and forestry companies that allow Aboriginal people to benefit from the business of forestry but also allow the land to regenerate and renew.”
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Dave Porter is a member of the Kaska Nation whose traditional territory covers a large part of north-eastern British Columbia and south-eastern Yukon. His career includes journalism, politics, communications and extensive public service on behalf of aboriginal organizations as well as public governments in the Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Porter spent the first seven years of his life on a trapline near Good Hope Lake, B.C. His education included Lower Post Indian Residential School, F.H. Collins Secondary School in Whitehorse, Confederation College in Thunder Bay and Pre-Law at the University of British Columbia.
Mr. Porter was founding Chairman of Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon and was elected as Vice-Chair of the Council for Yukon Indians through two terms (1978-1982), holding several portfolios including Land Claims, Housing and Economic Development.
In 1982, Mr. Porter was elected to the Yukon Legislature and upon re-election in 1985 he served as Deputy Premier. He has also served as Minister of Renewable Resources, Tourism, Heritage and Culture, and Minister Responsible for Constitutional Devolution.
After leaving the Legislature, Mr. Porter was named Executive Director of the Yukon Human Rights Commission, then Deputy Minister of Culture and Communications for the Government of the Northwest Territories.
In the 1990’s Mr. Porter served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs for the British Columbia government. He later led the Fur Industry European Lobby on behalf of the Governments of Canada and the United States.
Mr. Porter was also the first Oil and Gas Commissioner in British Columbia, where he strived to build an open environment that would bring various interests in the province to a common table.
In 2002, Mr. Porter was elected Chair of the Kaska Dena Council, with a special commitment to preserve Kaska culture and create greater opportunity for Kaska youth.
Mr. Porter was elected to the three member political executive of the First Nations Summit, the Summit Task Group, in June 2004. The Task Group is authorized by the Summit to carry out specifically mandated tasks on issues related to treaty negotiations in British Columbia. Dave Porter is also a member of the BC First Nations Leadership Council.
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Appointed by the First Nations Summit, Harley Chingee is a member and former Chief of the McLeod Lake Indian Band with over 20 years experience in First Nation administration and business management. Currently working as a resource consultant, Mr. Chingee, brings a wealth of forest sector policy experience to the First Nations Forestry Council. Harley Chingee is currently a national board member of the Lands Advisory Board, and former member of the First Citizens Fund board of directors who believes in a “business first” approach to forestry. In the 80’s, as a logging contractor, he was instrumental in the creation of Duz Cho Logging Ltd. Owned by the McLeod Lake Indian Band; the company has utilized profits to support legal action defending their rights in their territory. As a negotiator, Mr. Chingee has experience working with all levels of government, and has concluded several public/private resource development partnerships between First Nations, government and industry groups. Mr. Chingee is committed to increasing First Nations access to, and involvement in, the forest sector.
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Director Eric Joseph is currently serving his fifth term on the Tsawataineuk First Nation Council, and his third as Chief. An independent contractor and father of four, Chief Joseph enjoys spending time hunting and fishing on his ancestral lands in and around Kingcome Inlet. As Chair of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council and the ‘Coastal FN Forestry Alliance,’ Chief Joseph is committed to balancing cultural and socio-economic uses of forest resources and to ensuring a healthy and thriving land base for future generations.
In addition to his work on behalf of coastal First Nations, Mr. Joseph currently serves on both the First Nations Forestry Council Ecosystem Stewardship Planning Group, and the First Nations Leadership Council Aquaculture Working Group, two provincial bodies dedicated to put “New Relationship” land and resource management principles into practice.
