Valérie Courtois

Valérie Courtois is a professional forester who specializes in indigenous issues, forest ecology, and ecosystem management and planning. She is a member of the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh, on the banks of Pekuakami of Lac-St-Jean. Valérie holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry from the Université de Moncton.

At the professional level, she was the forestry advisor for the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, the director of the environment office of the Innu Nation, and was a consultant in forest certification and forest planning.

Since 2009, she has worked with the International Boreal Forest Conservation Campaign, and since 2012 has been the Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative. In 2007, Courtois received the James M. Kitz Award from the Institute of Forestry of Canada for her early career contributions to the forestry profession.

In addition to her work in conservation and planning, Courtois is an avid photographer. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Corporation du Mushuau – nipi, a non-profit that encourages cultural and professional exchanges on the George River.

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