Nadi’ Denezā Garry Merkel
Program Advisor
garry.merkel@ubc.ca
Garry is a Tahltan from the Stikine River area in northwest British Columbia and is a professional forester with diverse expertise. His work spans community development, treaty negotiations, governance, business, and education. He has contributed significantly to Indigenous education, including being at the core of the establishment of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the Center of Indigenous Land Stewardship. His core mission is to empower others to shape their futures, particularly Indigenous communities through land stewardship based on their traditional ethics. He believes these ethics are key to restoring humanity’s balance with nature and creating sustainable stewardship systems globally.
John Innes
Program Advisor
john.innes@ubc.ca
John leads the Sustainable Forest Management Laboratory, where graduate students explore all aspects of sustainable forest management, focusing on applying these principles to real-world scenarios. They work on improving internationally agreed criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management, developing web-based tools for continuous improvement (see sfmindicators.org). The lab collaborates with Indigenous communities, examining climate change impacts and development pressures on forest-dependent areas in the Yukon and northeast British Columbia. Internationally, John is involved in projects addressing biodiversity conservation and climate change, with a particular interest in sustainable forestry certification and evolving management practices.
Carlos Ormond
Director, Indigenous and Intercultural Initiatives
Program Director, Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship
carlos.ormond@ubc.ca
With theoretical backgrounds and field experience in ecology, curriculum development, and community-based work, Carlos has focused his efforts over the last two decades on collaborating with Indigenous and local communities, governments, industry, and post-secondary institutions at local, national, and international levels. He plays a prominent role in UBC Forestry’s Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship and supports Garry Merkel at the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship. Carlos is also involved in initiatives aimed at increasing the accessibility of UBC Forestry programming to Indigenous, local, and international communities while strengthening relationships with community partners.
Estefanía Milla-Moreno
Program Manager
estefania.millamoreno@ubc.ca
Bridging a decade of experience in climate adaptation, ecological restoration, and inclusive education, Estefanía, a Mapuche and Chilean visitor to the Musqueam territory, is a dynamic transdisciplinary researcher, educator, and environmental advocate. Her work is rooted in a decolonial lens, recognizing that true climate justice and sustainable land stewardship require elevating Indigenous knowledge systems and empowering students to challenge conventional paradigms. Estefanía’s creative and community-centered outreach amplifies underrepresented voices within environmental science, actively working to dismantle colonial structures that have historically marginalized Indigenous relationships with the land. Through ongoing collaborations with academia, Indigenous communities, and environmental networks, she’s actively working towards a more just and sustainable future, with the advancement of the Indigenous Land Stewardship program as a key aspiration.
Russell Myers Ross
Online Program and Operations Manager
rmyers.ross@ubc.ca
Russell Myers Ross, a member of the Tsilhqot’in Nation from Yunesit’in, holds a Master’s in Indigenous Governance from UVic and has dedicated his career to advancing Indigenous rights and community development. He served two terms as Chief of Yunesit’in and contributed to nation-level negotiations through the Nenqay Deni Accord and Nilt’i Pathways Agreement. His leadership spans language revitalization, housing, energy, and land stewardship, including efforts to protect Teztan Biny and develop the Dasiqox Nexwagwez7an initiative. He also led projects like a solar farm, guest house, and the Indigenous Fire Stewardship Program. A father of two, Russell enjoys art, sports, and is an avid land-based learner, with research interests in Indigenous law, governance, and post-colonial studies.
Lecturers
Haḥuuła Tara Atleo
Lecturer
tara.atleo@ubc.ca
Tara is a stewardship economics researcher and Indigenous sustainable development practitioner from the Ahousaht First Nation, house of ƛaqišpiił. She is deeply committed to the principles of stewardship, focusing on innovative approaches to uphold and advance Indigenous law and governance. Her research examines the intersection of economic considerations with sustainable development and natural resource management. She has played a pivotal role in initiatives that provide economic opportunities and promote environmental stewardship guided by Indigenous law. Grounded in her community roots, she challenges and expands economic thought to create opportunities that advance intergenerational equity.
Lindsay Cuff
Lecturer
lindsay.cuff@ubc.ca
Lindsay employs a learner-centered, supportive, and experiential approach to teaching. Inspired by the Universal Design for Learning Principles, she integrates real-world applications into the classroom, creating a learning environment rooted in her students’ experiences and everyday lives.
Dana-Lyn Mackenzie
Lecturer
danalyn.mackenzie@ubc.ca
Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation and lawyer, is an elected councilor of her Coast Salish nation. She co-created UBC’s Weaving Relations course and IDEAL program, among others, and has led the Orange Shirt Day Intergenerational March since 2021. Dana-Lyn has worked in Indigenous programming and student affairs since 2012 and was recognized in 2016 and 2024 with UBC President’s Staff Awards. She was also the BC Green Party MLA candidate for Vancouver Yaletown. A proud mother of two young adults, Dana-Lyn dedicates her spare time to her family.
William Nikolakis
Lecturer
william.nikolakis@ubc.ca
William practices law in British Columbia and has previous experience in Australia. His work focuses on the intersection of Aboriginal rights and natural resources law. Since 2000, he has collaborated with Aboriginal organizations, governments, and corporations in Australia and Canada to help them achieve their objectives, including gaining greater control over their economies and natural resources and designing governance mechanisms to support these goals. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Hydrology, International Public Management Journal, Water Policy, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Organization and Environment, Journal of Water and Climate Change, and Community Development.
Shandin Pete
Lecturer
shandin.pete@ubc.ca
Shandin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and an Indigenous scholar specializing in hydrogeology, Indigenous research methodologies, and geoscientific ethnography. His research focuses on Indigenous frameworks for understanding Earth science knowledge, integrating traditional knowledge with scientific inquiry to enrich environmental studies.
K’iinuwaas Carrie Anne Vanderhoop
Lecturer
carrieanne.vanderhoop@ubc.ca
Carrie Anne holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She comes from a long line of Haida weavers and continues this tradition by creating the prestigious Raven’s Tail and Naaxiin (commonly referred to as Chilkat) textile garments. She emphasizes the importance of connecting with lands and waters, instilling values of respect for the environment and fostering relationships with the natural world as a parent and educator.
