Who We Are

Circa 1984: Building partnerships on using fire on the land in the Saskatchewan River Delta.

The resources, wise practices and lessons learned shared in the We are Fire Toolkit are based on interviews and a literature review carried out by the Muskrats to Moose Project Team on Indigenous-led fire practices and settler and state-led fire management in the Saskatchewan River Delta in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The Muskrats to Moose: Braiding Cultural Burning and Western Fire Management Project is being carried out by the following team members:

Alex Zahara, MES, PhD candidate

Project advisor, researcher

Heritage: Settler of Ukrainian, German and British descent

Amy Cardinal Christianson, PhD

Project advisor, Indigenous fire specialist

Heritage: Métis; Métis Nation of Alberta

Chris Dallyn, BSc, RPF

Fire science specialist

Heritage: Irish, Welsh, English, German and Russian

Cliff Buettner

Project advisor, forestry and emergency protective services program director

David Young, BSc

Project advisor, Indigenous policy analyst

Heritage: Ketegaunseebee Anishinaabe nini/Garden River First Nation

Donald W. McKay

Elder, fluent Cree speaker, retired conservation officer

Heritage: nēhinaw/Cree Elder

Graham Strickert, PhD

Project advisor, environmental scientist and associate professor

Heritage: Canadian - German, Welsh, Irish and British

Laura Chaboyer

Cree-English translator and educator

Heritage: nēhinaw iskwēw/Cree/Métis Woman; kaministikominahikoskak/ Cumberland House

Madeline Walker, PhD

Copy editor, writing specialist, author and educator

Heritage: German/English/Mixed European

Michela Carrière

Artist, business owner, certified adventure guide, herbalist and wilderness first aid responder

Heritage: Cree/Métis

Natasha Caverley, PhD, CCC

Project manager, management consultant and educator

Heritage: Multiracial Canadian - Algonquin/Jamaican/Irish; Whitney and Area Algonquins

Renée Carrière, BEd, MEd

Author, educator, mother

Heritage: Canadian; kahministikominahikoskak/ Cumberland House

Solomon Carrière

Cree-speaking Science Knowledge Keeper, business owner, fisher, adventure guide, trapper

Heritage: Cree/Métis/First Nations

Tanya Gadsby, BFA

Infographic designer

Heritage: Māori/Ukrainian/Scottish

Tom Spetter, Visual Arts (Diploma)

Website designer and graphic design artist

Heritage: Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation

The Muskrats to Moose Project draws upon the collective gifts of project team members who have expertise in cross-cultural relations and writing, education and land-based learning, expressive arts, forestry, Indigenous and intergovernmental relations, natural resource management, public policy and administration, water resource management and wildfire science (Indigenous-led fire practices and settler and state-led fire management).

Relationships guide us in our learning journey. Positive and productive relationships are reciprocal, require care and compassion to maintain and can lead you to being allies of change.

Solomon Carrière (left) & Renée Carrière (right)

Leading the Way: Solomon and Renée Carrière

Solomon and Renée Carrière have been and continue to be our resident Indigenous-led fire stewardship trailblazers and allies of change from northern Saskatchewan.

Through their relationships with all of us as Muskrats to Moose Project team members, they guide, shape and influence the research and knowledge product development journey—all in a good and mutually respectful way.

The Carrières’ research and practitioner work in Indigenous-led fire stewardship involves developing and implementing innovative land-based programs, teaching strategies and engaging learners across the lifespan about the environment and rich land of the Saskatchewan River Delta.

Thanks Solomon and Renée for your co-leadership and inspiration for this Project!