Christine Creyke

2010 Jane Glassco Arctic Fellow

In April 2006, Christine Creyke graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) with a bachelor’s degree in geography. After graduation she gained employment in her home community of Dease Lake, B.C., as the land stewardship co-ordinator where she learned about her Tahltan people, and their struggle with resource extraction.

Due to the abundance of exploration/mining companies on her people’s traditional territories and the overwhelming hurt her people are feeling, Christine decided to continue her studies at the master’s level in the Natural Resource and Environmental Studies (NRES) program. Christine’s thesis titled, The Tahltan Nation and our consultation process with the mining industry; How a land use plan might improve the process and policies, was successfully defended in April 2011. She hopes that by educating herself, both in traditional and western ways, she will help her people stay strong and rooted in their culture. 

Community

Christine’s father is Tahltan from Telegraph Creek, British Columbia and her mother is Vuntut Gwitchin from Old Crow, Yukon; she likes to think of herself as a Tahl’chin. Christine is based in Old Crow, Yukon for her fellowship.

Fellowship Focus

One of Christine’s career highlights includes the time when she was able to meet with Roberta Jamieson, a Mohawk woman from the Six Nations who is also the President and CEO of Canada’s National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF). Jamison offered Christine advice prior to her interview for the Jane Glassco Arctic Fellowship. Roberta’s advice helped Christine become one of the 12 Fellows selected from across Canada.

Christine’s research is titled Natural Resource Policy Recommendations for the Vuntut Gwitchin Government. The report is a comparative analysis of natural resource management decision-making by governments in the traditional territories of a First Nation with final land claim and self-government agreements and that of a First Nation without, including comment on the incorporation of traditional knowledge into resource management decision-making. Christine’s work with her mother’s home community of Old Crow has deepened her understanding of the issues that First Nations people are faced with and has helped her develop policy ideas to address those pressing issues.