Sharleen Gale

Expert Overview

Sharleen Gale is the Chief of the Fort Nelson First Nation. She is an active member of the Fort Nelson First Nation and envisions a future where all members are working together to become a strong, proud, healthy, and self-reliant Nation. She is the grand-daughter of Fred Burke and Madeline Needlay. Her roots run deep in the lives of her people and she enjoys being on the land with her family exploring the territory and teaching her son the traditional ways on the lands and how to hunt, fish, and gather medicines and berries.

Due to her various public office roles for her Nation, she understands the importance of a upholding the spirit and intent of the treaty by asserting her peoples’ rights to their land and taking responsibility for ensuring that our future generations are able to live their lives in their territory in a way that honours our ancestors.

Sharleen served as Chief from 2012 to 2014 and as acting Chief from Oct 2016 to August 2017. Sharleen currently works in the oil and gas sector for 19 years and started her career in 2000. Her various roles working in administration, finance, maintenance, planning and in leadership have given her extensive experience in the corporate world and the vision to ensure our people are managing our lands and our resources in our territory to the benefit of our members.

Sharleen is the chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) and believes that First Nations need to have the opportunity to have equity in major project infrastructure and access to meaningful financing for these projects happening in their territories. One that focuses on a balance approach of economic prosperity and environmental stewardship. Several First Nations have formed the First Nations Major Projects Coalition for the purposes of examining how ownership of major resource projects on their lands could be facilitated and how environmental practices can be improved to meet their needs.

The work of the FNMPC is directed through feedback received from the First Nations participating in the Coalition.