‘Always a bright side’: Squamish forester highlighted by Indigenous network

By Jennifer Thuncher
The Squamish Chief
January 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

While protest action involving First Nations peoples blocking industry projects often make headlines and are sensationalized images on our screens, there is a quiet majority of Indigenous workers proudly making tracks in resource industries, says the head of the Indigenous Resource Network (IRN). …IRN reps were recently in Squamish to create content with local Indigenous forestry workers to highlight the importance of First Nations involvement in that industry. “We want to … give voice to what good looks like in resource development, and really profile Indigenous success and go a little deeper than just [resource development] providing the jobs,” said IRN executive director John Desjarlais. …Squamish’s Roger Lewis is one of those people working in the resource sector. …Lewis is the superintendent of special projects with Sqomish Forestry LP,part of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). …Desjarlais said that in the media, Indigenous folks are often portrayed as blocking projects, but that isn’t the whole story.

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