Treaty Team
Mark Stevenson, Chief Negotiator
Mark L’Hirondelle Stevenson is a Métis lawyer whose family comes from the historic Métis community of Lac Ste Anne in northern Alberta.
Mark has an extensive background in Treaty negotiations, Constitutional negotiations, and Aboriginal law.
Mark worked with the Privy Council in Ottawa for five years on Aboriginal constitutional matters, subsequently worked as Legal Counsel for the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat and then with the Government of British Columbia as a Chief Treaty Negotiator.
Mark is now working with a number of First Nations, as legal counsel and Chief Negotiator under the British Columbia Treaty Process. In addition, Mark works for First Nations and Métis organizations in matters related to Conflict Management, Constitutional Development, Governance, Natural Resource Law and Economic Development.
Mark has instructed courses on Aboriginal Law and Dispute Resolution in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria and has published extensively on Aboriginal rights issues.
Mark has a Masters in Law from the University of British Columbia, an undergraduate degree in law from McGill University and a Masters Degree in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.
Mark recently served as president of the Indigenous Bar Association and as a Commissioner with the Law Commission of Canada. Mark currently practices law and lives in Victoria.
Mark L. Stevenson Law Corp.
659 Stewart Mountain Rd. Victoria, BC VNB 6J8
Cell (250) 889-4397 Work (250) 383-3084
Email
Mark@Aboriginallaw.com
Chief Ernie Hardy
Bio coming soon
Counsellor Stewart Hardy
Lageuse (Salish meaning “Everything is going my way”) has been a Council member for the K’ómoks First Nation for the past 46 years. Stewart wanted employment for his community members and was first in Council with Chief Andy Frank and Bobby Clifton.
Stewart began commercial fishing at a young age and fished with several Captains including Bob Clifton, Ernie Price and Harry Assu. When the fishing season ended Stewart was logging. He worked 7 days a week to get enough money to build a house for his family of 5 children.
Stewart has walked almost all the land of our K’ómoks territory with his brother Chief Ernie Hardy. He is an accomplished hunter, as he continues to hunt for moose, elk and deer. Stewart is traditional in his food gathering.
Stewart has a passion for his people, as he attends numerous meetings on behalf of the K’ómoks people, for example: The First Nation Summit, K’ómoks Treaty, Nanwakolas, KDC and numerous other meetings. Stewart speaks openly, as he advocates the best interests of the K’ómoks community members.
Counsellor Barbara Mitchell
Barb is a K’omoks Band member, married with three grown children and three grandchildren.
Barb has been working for the K’omoks Band for 30+ years as the Social Development Administrator. She also has been on council since January 2000.
Barb enjoys working with people and for the people. In 1992 she was one of four women who created the LAICHWILTACH FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM out of Campbell River.
This Society offered family Violence programs to clients both on and off the reserve. She was the first president of the Society, and continued to be very active with LFLS until being elected to council in 2000.
Ronald J. Frank, Co-Negotiator
Ronald Frank is a Professional Forester who was born, raised and lived on Vancouver Island for most of his life.
Ronald has a long history of working with government, industry and for the last 25 years in forestry with First Nation Communities in Coastal British Columbia.
For the past 16 years Ronald has assisted First Nations in the Treaty Process, most recently as co-negotiator for the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation and technical support to the Maa-Nulth Treaty Society who ratified a Final Agreement in October 2007.
Ronald is currently working with the K’ómoks First Nation Treaty team, with local Forest Certification groups and with the Vancouver Island Region Wildlife Management Society.
Ronald has instructed courses in silviculture, road deactivation, forest soils and several forest management topics.
Ronald has a Masters Degree in Soils Science and a Bachelors degree in Forestry with the University of British Columbia.
Ron currently practices Professional Forestry and lives in Courtenay.
Ronald J. Frank, R.P.F. #4-145-19th St. Courtenay B.C. V9N 9G2
Email: shelter@island.net
John Munro, Lands
John Munro was raised in Vancouver and received his education in Biology and Geography at UBC and the University of Western Washington.
Over the past 35 years, John has worked for BCResearch, UBC, Ontario Ministry of the Environment and most recently as a private consultant based in BC doing land and resource use related projects.
John’s work for the past 14 years has focused on First Nation and Indigenous Peoples issues as they relate to their cultural uses of the land and resources. He has worked extensively for First Nations in BC including the Hamatla Treaty Society on treaty land issues, the KDC and the Central Coast Land Use Plan, the Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council, Ulkatcho Nation, and the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group.
Internationally, John has worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue, Oregon, the United Nations Global Mercury Project and the Amerindian People’s Association in Guyana, South America where he continues to provide support for mapping of cultural use in their traditional territories and the application of this information in the negotiations with the Guyanese Government.
John and Karen live on Salt Spring Island in the Halalt and Penelakut Territories and have three daughters at university.
John Munro
163 Murrelet Place
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1G9
munro163@telus.net
Wayne Jacob, Fisheries
Raised in the lower mainland, I received a bachelor's of science from Simon Fraser University which led to my early employment as an environmental consultant.
In the 1990s I expanded my environmental and cultural education when I took a position with the King Fahad University in Saudi Arabia, which was involved in conducting an environmental assessment from the Gulf War in the Persian Gulf. From there I attended post graduate schooling in New Zealand obtaining a masters of science degree in marine science in 1996.
I started working with First Nations in both fisheries and treaty programs since 1996 when I took the position of fisheries biologist with the Wuikinuxv of Rivers Inlet.
Three years later I expanded my treaty background by adding the Liach-Kwil-Tach K’omoks treaty negotiation table to my portfolio.
Since 2001 I have been heavily involved in treaty negotiations as both a technical advisor and a negotiator.
Melissa Hardy, Communications Officer/Assistant Negotiator trainee
Melissa is a K’omoks band member, born and raised in the Comox Valley, and she is a hard working mother and wife (to be!).
She began working with Treaty issues in 2003, as a member of the Hamatla Treaty Society Youth Committee, since then she has shown a tremendous interest in the treaty negotiations for the K’omoks people.
Melissa is very passionate about native rights and title and feels honored to be working for her people and to help bring our community to a prosperous future.
Fran Prince, Treaty Coordinator
A member of the K’omoks First Nation, Fran was raised by her grandparents the Late Chief Andy Frank and Margaret Frank. Fran’s Mom (Dolly) has ancestry with the Namgis and Kwakiulth Nation and her Dad (Raymond Prince) has ancestry from the Nak’azdli First Nation (Fort St. James).
Fran is an Elder (young!!) and was taught by her grandmother to “know where she comes from.” Her Gran was a high ranking member of the Kwakiulth Nation. Her father’s side is high ranking from relations from Chief Kwah, a former noble Nak’azdli Chief.
Fran enjoys going to potlatches and feasts and travels the potlatch trail with her younger sister Fernanda. Fran learns more of her rich culture from respected “Old People.” Fran was fortunate to travel with her grandparents and listen to Elders speaking.
Fran started working at the age of 15 and has worked with an Aviation Firm; Autoport; Employment Insurance; while working in Ottawa she worked at the Govenor General’s Residence; Corrections; a Ministry of Human Resources, Office Manger; Legal Information Counsellor at Old Massett, Band Social Development Worker (WeWaiKai); The First Nations Chief’s Health Committee and presently is the Education Coordinator and Treaty Coordinator for our Nation.
A Chief once said “Too many people have died in a rich land” and I believe this is so, and I hope I am making a difference, so more of our people become rich in our land.
