Please apply by 11:59 PM MT on Sunday June 18, 2023.
WHO WE ARE:
The Nahʔą Dehé Consensus Team (“NDCT”) was established in 2001 as the cooperative management body for the Nahanni National Park Reserve (the “Park”). Shared governance arrangements, such as the NDCT, provide ways for Indigenous peoples and Parks Canada to engage in collaborative decision-making for protected heritage places. The NDCT is comprised of representatives from the Nahʔą Dehé Dene Band (“NDDB”), Dehcho First Nations (“DFN”), Sahtu Dene and Métis, and Parks Canada. In September 2022, NDDB, DFN, and Parks Canada signed the Ndahecho Gondié Gháádé Agreement, which will increase the role of the NDCT in the day-to-day management of the Park, fund permanent staff, and establish the NDCT Secretariat. This Agreement also provides for the establishment of the Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi (Guardians on the Land) program within the Park.
WHERE WE ARE:
The NDCT Secretariat and the Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi program are based in Nahanni Butte, Northwest Territories. Nahanni Butte is the home of the NDDB, at the confluence of the South Nahanni and Liard Rivers, approximately 20km downstream of the Park.
WHAT WE DO:
The Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi Guardians have been established to:
- Maintain a Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene presence in the Park;
- Protect and maintain the health of the land and Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene cultural heritage;
- Promote Nahe náhodhe (the Dene way of life), Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene culture, knowledge and the use of Dene Zhatié within the Park;
- Work collaboratively with Parks Canada and the NDCT in the management, operation and monitoring of the Park; and
- Support the training and advancement of Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene as Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi Guardians to fulfil these roles.
WHAT’S NEEDED:
The Guardians Program Manager is responsible for the leadership, overall management, and operations of the Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi (Guardians on the Land) program within the Park. As a new organization, recruiting, hiring, training and inspiring new staff are critical first steps in the creation of a healthy organizational culture.
Key duties include:
- Working with NDCT members, NDDB leadership and administration, DFN and Parks Canada leadership to understand issues and priorities;
- Recruiting, hiring, training, and managing the Nahʔą Dehé K’ehodi Guardians team (approximately 6 members, varying depending on season and overall activity levels);
- Developing a training program for Guardians that includes mentoring and capacity- building opportunities;
- Developing a safety management program for Guardians missions, with a focus on safe work practices on the land in remote areas;
- Designing, planning, and executing Guardians missions – traveling by land, air, and water – to monitor industrial and tourism activities within the Park, and to collect cultural, heritage and environmental observations about the Park;
- Helping Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene experience the Park, such as by organizing trips to take students and elders into the Park, and organising educational and mentoring programs;
- Liaising with Parks Canada, other Guardian programs, and other conservation organisations, and coordinating joint activities where appropriate;
- Provide regular updates to Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene through coordinating and hosting community engagement activities about the Guardians work;
- Developing, managing, and reporting on program budgets and work plans – again, since this is a new organization, this will require independent strategic thinking about priorities, and an ability to anticipate and estimate costs without the benefit of historical data.
Reporting to the Executive Director, this position will be a full-time employee of the Naha Dehe Park Corporation, a new non-profit organisation created pursuant to the Ndahecho Gondié Gháádé Agreement.
QUALIFICATIONS
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply if they have experience in a combination of the following areas:
- Experience in managing non-profit organizations, such as environmental non-governmental organizations or social enterprise;
- Management experience, such as personnel, project, or financial management;
- Experience working with First Nations peoples and in First Nations;
- Formal qualifications in environmental science, parks and natural resource management, anthropology / archaeology / cultural resource management, conservation, outdoor recreation, or Indigenous/First Nations studies;
- Experience managing or working with an Indigenous Guardians program or similar Indigenous focused heritage program;
- Experience working in Protected Areas at the national, territorial, provincial or regional levels; and
- Experience traveling or working on the land and water, particularly in remote natural areas.
Success in this role will require the following skills/abilities, and applicants should be able to demonstrate these through their application and in the interview process:
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, verbally and in writing;
- Ability to communicate in Dene Zhatié and/or a strong willingness to learn about Dene language and culture;
- Leadership and planning skills;
- High level of interpersonal skills and cultural awareness;
- Ability to set goals, monitor performance and undertake staff evaluations;
- Financial planning and management skills;
- Ability to exercise good judgement and discretion; and
- A strong commitment to safe work practices and operational safety on the land.
Preference may be given to qualified candidates who are Nahʔą Dehé Dene and/or Dehcho Dene. Candidates who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must self-identify in their cover letter. All candidates must have a valid driver’s licence and be legally eligible to work in Canada.
LOCATIONS OF WORK
The place of work will be Nahanni Butte, Northwest Territories. Nahanni Butte is adjacent to the Nahanni National Park Reserve, which encompasses 30,000 square kilometers and is a designated UNESCO world heritage site. Recreational activities in the Park include paddling the world-famous South Nahanni River, which surges over a drop twice the height of Niagara Falls at Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls), visiting the famous Gahnîhthah (Rabbitkettle) and Krause Hot Springs, as well as hiking and climbing in the Mackenzie Mountains, where the Cirque of the Unclimbables’ granite spires rise out of a lush alpine meadow.
Nahanni Butte has road access via an ice bridge from late November to late March. From late April through late October the community is accessible by river taxi across the Liard River. The Guardians Program Manager will have access to river taxi services as required. The community is accessible year-round via air charter. The Guardians Program Manager will have access to charter flights if travel is required and no other transportation is available. Commercial flights are available in Fort Nelson and Fort Simpson, each a 3 to 4 hour drive from Nahanni Butte.
Duty travel into the Park and to other Dehcho communities (e.g. Fort Simpson) will be occasionally required as part of normal duties.
The Guardians Program Manager is expected to spend 2-3 weeks per month physically present in Nahanni Butte and surrounding areas. This is to ensure that the Manager has a strong on-the-ground understanding of the Nahʔą Dehé landscape and the Nahʔą Dehé Dene people, and to foster close working relationships. More time in the community will be required when on-the-land activities are more intensive, particularly during summer. When not in the community, remote work will be facilitated by good telecommunications access to and from Nahanni Butte. There is currently 4G cell service and high-speed internet available, and fibre-to-the-home internet will be installed later this year.
COMPENSATION
- A salary of $95,000-$115,000 per year, depending on qualifications and experience
- Employer contribution to a retirement savings account
- Annual performance-based bonus
- Accommodation and utilities in the community of Nahanni Butte
- A monthly travel allowance to and from the applicant’s current residence, depending on the employee’s specific circumstances
- Access to vehicles for duty travel and for daily transportation when in the community
- Generous leave and vacation policy
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $95,000.00-$115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Disability insurance
- Housing allowance
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Nahanni Butte, NT: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 2023-06-18
