Gwen Phillips: We Don’t Own the Land, the Land Owns Us

Gwen is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation and has worked for the Ktunaxa Nation Council for the past thirty-five years. She has held senior management functions in a variety of departments, including education, health, corporate services and traditional knowledge and language, and is currently the Director responsible for leading the Ktunaxa Nation back to self-governance. She has represented the Ktunaxa Nation on numerous boards and committees and champions the BC First Nations’ Data Governance Initiative; a tripartite government initiative (federal, provincial and First Nations governments) with a key objective being timely access to quality data to support First Nations well-being.

Gwen has extensive experience in relationship building and has developed and instructed First Nation Studies courses and continues to function as a public educator. Her formal training is in Business Administration and she has operated her own small business, as a community planner, facilitator/trainer, artist and curriculum developer. Gwen’s most enjoyable pastime as of late is being at the river or elsewhere on the land, with her 11-year-old granddaughter and just spending time with her family.