Short Biography

Ernie began his Parks Canada career in 1992 and became the agency’s first Haida Field Unit Superintendent in 2001. For over 20 years, he co-chaired the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board, advancing cooperative governance with the Haida Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. In 2008, he received a Public Service Award of Excellence for his contributions to Gwaii Haanas. As Executive Director of the Indigenous Stewardship Branch, Ernie led the development of Parks Canada’s first Indigenous Stewardship Policy, created in collaboration with Indigenous leaders across the country. The policy, rooted in reconciliation and supporting the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, was formally adopted in ceremony by the Indigenous Stewardship Circle in October 2024. Ernie has shared the story of the Haida–Parks Canada partnership nationally and internationally and was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Session Title: Indigenous Stewardship: Conservation Through Relationships

Parks Canada Parks Canada has embarked on a process of organization-wide renewal, centered around a vision of protected heritage area management and governance that is respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of stewarding lands, water, and ice. At its core is the Indigenous Stewardship Framework and Policy, which respectfully advances reconciliation and support implementation of the UNDRIP. Done in collaboration with Indigenous Leaders, the Indigenous Stewardship Policy (ISP) seeks to support the continuity of Indigenous cultures and advance how the priorities of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples alongside Parks Canada’s mandate can be accomplished together to advance environmental, economic and community well-being. This session will share both Parks Canada and Indigenous perspectives of the ISP, key lessons learned and next steps.