The Team

PROGRAM LEAD (She/Her)

Kianna is a Métis & Ukrainian woman from Red River with roots to St. Andrews. She Resides in Winnipeg (Treaty 1) where she received her B.Sc in Environment with a focus in water stewardship. She is a water quality scientist, artist and organizer.

Kianna grew up on Lake Winnipeg and has spent her life experiencing the changes and deterioration to the health of the lake. These experiences shaped her calling to advocate for the health of our sacred lake. Over the last 5 years she has worked within various water quality monitoring projects related to the health of Lake Winnipeg & its surrounding rivers, as well as co-creating land-based education programs with Elders that foster knowledge exchange of land-based skills, Indigenous knowledge and technical environmental monitoring skills for Indigenous youth.

She is a proud member of Red River Echoes where she organizes with other Métis/Michif folks for Land Back, the strengthening of our relations, and reclaiming our sovereignty across the homelands.

DIRECTOR (He/Him)

Daniel is an Anishinaabe, Irish and Métis man from Animakee Wa Zhing First Nation on Lake of the Woods. He moved to Winnipeg, but his heart is in the lakes and red pine forests of his home out of the Treaty Three Territory. He was first called to help the land and waters while canoeing on Kakagi lake.

He pursued a biology degree out of the University of Winnipeg. With the knowledge and tools, he has worked the last 17 years to assist Indigenous peoples all around Turtle Island to strengthen their food, land and water self-determination, and has received many humbling teachings about the ways of living and knowing of his ancestors.

He currently lives in Winnipeg with his family, where he taps maple trees and attempts to learn Anishinaabemowin.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT (she/her)

Amy is non-Indigenous to Canada with family remaining in Portugal and relatives from Holland. She takes residency in Winnipeg (Treaty 1) where she completed the two-year Community Development program under Indigenous Education at Red River Polytechnic College.

During her final year at the program, she had the opportunity to learn and unlearn about the historical impacts of Lake Winnipeg and the control over the land, water and beings for hydro-electric power. These lessons furthered her passion to prepare the Lake for what’s to come.

Amy feels connected to the land, water and beings she has encountered throughout her life and hopes for all future generations to have that experience. Her best teachings come from observing and listening to what others are willing to share, she continues her education by becoming involved in the work which is being done.

You can find her birding throughout the province and fishing offshore but always close with her friends and family to share the experience.