Emalee comes to Thompson Rivers University from Squamish, BC, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Quest University Canada. In her interdisciplinary degree she studied how “nature” was created and used as a tool to colonize Western Turtle Island, and how Indigenous-led movements challenge these colonial creations. After working in small-scale agriculture, eco-tourism, and environmental education, Emalee decided to pursue a Master’s degree under the supervisions of Courtney Mason to explore themes relating to food sovereignty, health and wellness, and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. Her academic areas of interest include ethnobotany, political ecology, Indigenous methodologies, and natural resource studies. Emalee was awarded the Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC) for 2021-2022.