About Us
Overview
Stewards of the land,
its life and our people
Mikisew GIR was established in January 2001 as a department of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. We provide responsible planning and stewardship of our traditional territory. By representing the interests of our Members through engagement and negotiations with industry and all levels of government, we ensure Mikisew is represented fairly and consulted on resource development and decisions that affect it.
We value our traditional way of life, which is founded on the principles of maintaining balance, respect for all things, humility and honour in how we conduct ourselves. We aim to participate in today’s modern economy. However, we will only work with those who respect our traditional way of life and are willing to learn about, respect and support our inherent Treaty and Aboriginal Rights.
Our values
GIR will always be guided by a core set of values based on:
Balance of traditional ways of life with economic opportunity
Preservation of our Treaty and Aboriginal Rights
Respect for all things
Humility
Honour and integrity in our business affairs
Our guiding principles
Informed decision making
Standing up for the Peace-Athabasca Delta
Documenting and protecting our wildlife population
Empowering communities through education
Meet our team
Your voice on matters of industry and government
Our team includes experts in Indigenous relations, environment, social sciences, consultation and community engagement. We work hard to ensure Mikisew is represented fairly and consulted on resource development and decisions that affect it.
GIR Executive
Melody Lepine
Director
Melanie Dene
Manager, Government Relations
Harry McGrath
Environmental Coordinator, Environmental Affairs
Jocelyn Marten
Community-Based Monitoring Coordinator
Ivy Wigmore
Finance Coordinator
Breanne Whiteknife
Government Relations Coordinator
Sheena Voyageur
Finance and Project Coordinator
Sara Voyageur
Administrative Coordinator
Melody Nice
Manager, Industry Relations
Deirdre Todd
Senior Regulatory and Consultation Coordinator
Bilsen Xavier
Agreements Analyst
Sebastian Fekete
Wildlife Program Lead
Consultation area
Our consultation area includes Mikisew traditional territory in which developers and government must consult with respect to our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. The following map is an approximate representation of this area and the major projects our team has engaged in.
Did you know?
The Peace-Athabasca Delta is the world's largest inland freshwater delta. It is home to diverse and important fish, birds and animals and their ecosystem. Mikisew GIR plays a vital role in the sustainability of these populations, observing their health and ensuring they are protected from harm.
In fact, Mikisew GIR plays a lead role in protecting the ecology of the Wood Buffalo National Park, Peace-Athabasca Delta and Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park. As part of this role, Mikisew GIR works closely with Parks Canada to advance protection of the World Heritage Site to prevent degradation of conservation value. This work is critical to ensure these incredible natural areas thrive for generations to come.
