Janna Wale is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. Where possible, Wale uses a complex human-environmental systems approach and believes that this lens can be used when looking for ways to bridge western and Indigenous climate work. In 2023, Wale was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate leadership through Clean Energy BC. She has published two reports in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute and was named as an Indigenous Trailblazer through Diversity in Sustainability. In 2024, Wale was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights. She was also a finalist for the Community Advocate of the year award through Foresight Canada and was selected for a Community Award – Emerging Leader through the B.C. Achievement foundation. Wale holds a bachelor of Natural Resource Sciences (B. Nrsc.) from Thompson Rivers University, and a MSc in Sustainability from UBC Okanagan, where her work focused on climate resilience in Indigenous communities, using a seasonal rounds model.
