Katriona Siloen Auerbach

Katriona is a Research Associate with HARC. She completed her MA Interdisciplinary Studies degree at UNBC with supervisors Dr. Sarah de Leeuw (UNBC) and Dr. Wade Davis (UBC). Prior to completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology at Vancouver Island University, she worked for many years in northern British Columbia as a remote (fly-in) wilderness guide specializing in horseback and horse-pack trip wilderness and hunting excursions. Having the opportunity to work alongside and learn from local guides, Elders, and trackers, Katriona slowly developed her own style of backcountry skills that eventually led to her becoming the first woman to receive the prestigious Leland Award (2002) for top hunting, fishing and wilderness guide in British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories which later also expanded into a National Geographic article published in 2004.

Hunting for Katriona reaches far beyond a successful hunt in that it incorporates a learning experience that immerses the hunter into a world of intelligent landscapes, medicinal plants and a respectful, reciprocal and healing relationship with the animals, plants and lands that provide us our sustenance. It was in fact, the exploration of this deeper relationship with the land that inspired her Masters research and thesis entitled Hunting, Healing & Human-Land Relationships: An Inquiry into Health and Well-Being through Indigenous Informed Hunting Practices, Land Relationships and Ways of Knowing.

Katriona is and forever will be deeply humbled and eternally grateful to have had the honour to work alongside so many very special Indigenous Chiefs, Elders, Hunters and Knowledge Holders from across the story-holding and intelligent lands that are British Columbia.