Gary Pritchard ~ Giniw (Golden Eagle), is a Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario. Gary has had the privilege to work on behalf of Indigenous peoples throughout Ontario and Canada. He has travelled and worked in almost 300 Indigenous communities throughout Canada and the northern United States. He has brought a wealth of knowledge to both his Indigenous and non-Indigenous cliental performing a wide variety of services including: Indigenous Community Planning, land-use/traditional knowledge studies, Indigenous lead conservation and restoration, Ecological Monitoring using Two-eyed Seeing, Indigenous Place-making, capacity building, expert testimony, mediation between western science and traditional science and subject matter expert on behalf of Indigenous communities.
Gary loves to connect and educate people through nature. He does this through several mediums. His favourite way is through his wildlife photography and storytelling. He believes that if individuals, especially youth, can form a connection with nature then all people can make conscious decisions on how we impact Mother Earth and the next seven generations. Gary likes to spend much of his free time educating the youth about “All Our Relations,” with his most favourite students being his two children.
One of Gary’s greatest strengths is that he is often able to be the one who acts as the bridge between the Indigenous Community and the western style of governance. Gary has successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, researchers, institutes, government agencies, Indigenous communities, and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions to environmental related issues. Gary is also a Director on the Board of the Ontario Association for Impact Assessment (OAIA).
