Lands & Stewardship

This department focuses on preserving Lyackson’s cultural heritage while managing contemporary relationships with various stakeholders. Tyler James, as Cultural Records Coordinator, leads initiatives to document and preserve community history. Working alongside Karyn Scott and Cristina Hoffman, the department handles consultations, major project engagements, and referrals from government bodies. The staff play a crucial role in protecting Lyackson’s rights and interests, managing relationships with other First Nations, and ensuring community members stay connected to Lyackson culture, land, and language.

Cristina is a settler of mixed European ancestry who has been a guest on lək̓ʷəŋən lands for the last twenty years. She has worked with Lyackson since 2021 as the Referrals Coordinator and is passionate about her work.

In Cristina’s own words, “I love my relationship with my colleagues and with the community members. There is something so special about being able to work in a place where you have longstanding, deep, meaningful relationships with the people you work with.”

As the Referrals Coordinator, Cristina handles incoming requests from all levels of government, decides whether the requests infringe on the community’s rights, assesses community impact, and forwards the requests to other departments when input is needed.

Cristina brings a wealth of experience to her role. She spent 10 years working for the Province, gaining valuable insight into government processes and policies, before beginning her tenure with Lyackson. Additionally, in November 2024, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies.

In her free time, Cristina loves to read, sit by the ocean, and spend time with her family, including her 3-year-old daughter.

Tyler was born and raised in Duncan, B.C. and is a member of Lyackson First Nation. He started his journey working with Lyackson as a research assistant before moving on to work in payroll, and finally, assuming his current role as the Cultural Records Coordinator.

Due to the trauma of residential schooling, Tyler’s mom was unable to expose Tyler and his siblings to Lyackson language and culture. Tyler’s role as the Cultural Records Coordinator allows him to satisfy his interest in history and culture for the first time. In fact, he has learned so much that he is now regarded as a Knowledge Holder for the community.

In his own words, “Everything I do in my role is to connect the community back to the culture, land, and language. It’s not just for now; it’s for future generations. Everything I do is to get the community back to our history; to make sure that the teachings are not only not forgotten, but that everyone understands where they come from.”

When he’s not working for Lyackson, Tyler likes to engage in quiet, contemplative activities like carpentry, reading, writing, drawing, upholstery, and – lately – horology.

Originally from Montréal, Karyn currently lives in Metulia (Victoria) and is currently Karyn responsible for consultations and major project engagement. What Karyn loves most about her role is connecting with community and building strong relationships.

Karyn’s responsibilities are varied. Her work includes collaborating with other Quw’utsun Nation member communities – Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, and Stz’uminus First Nation – on projects involving all communities. She also supports the work of the Indigenous Management Board; works on accommodations, assessing potential infringement on Lyackson’s Rights and Title; and helps out the team where possible.

Karyn’s energy and enthusiasm are assets to the community. A passionate communicator, one of her recent accomplishments was launching Lyackson’s mobile app to provide updates including Lyackson news, events, and important notices to community members.

Karyn holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts (economics, history, linguistics) and completed the coursework for a Master of Public Administration. In addition, she has a bunch of designations and certificates. Prior to working at Lyackson, Karyn worked as a consultant and was with the province for over 20 years, most recently in senior management and advisory roles. She received several awards for her contributions and is proud to bring that knowledge and experience to Lyackson. The team calls her “Lyackson’s Secret Weapon” because of her wealth of experience and expertise.

When she isn’t at work, you can find her spending time with her partner, her family, and, more specifically, her 3-year-old granddaughter. She loves being in community, cooking for family and friends, and travelling. Her not-so-secret passion is investing in beadwork, especially earrings.

Originally from Northern Ontario, Brian moved to British Columbia 4 years ago.

As the Lyackson Project Manager, Brian is tasked with procuring funding from the government to support Lyackson’s initiatives, managing the implementation of the initiatives, and carrying out all related reporting tasks.

Other tasks under Brian’s purview include providing equipment for the Lyackson First Nation Guardians to support the Guardians’ work in protecting the environmental health of traditional lands.

Brian’s background and experience is in mechanical, electrical, and architectural work. Previous positions include work as a project manager with Bell Canada and with Imperial Oil. Brian calls his work with Lyackson a “breath of fresh air,” supporting his desire to do good for the community in a family-oriented atmosphere.

In his free time, Brian likes to take cruises across the Pacific Northwest in his home, a 65-foot steel motorsailer built in 1965.

Geoff grew up in Campbell River, living in Duncan, and currently serves as the leader of Lyackson’s Guardian Team. He loves working at Lyackson because of its grassroots nature, and supporting the Nations Lands and Marine Territories.

As the Leader of the Guardian Team, Geoff works to assess the health of the Island by, for example, tracking commercial whale-watching vendors to make sure the whales aren’t being harassed, studying container ships to track how many are in the area, assessing the health of the biomass on the Island, intertidal zone, and the surrounding waters, and studying bull kelp and eelgrass. He and his team also take care of the Islands reservation lands maintaining, repairing and landscaping. From wind blowdowns, dangerous tree removal, and road maintenance to clearing invasive plants and bushes and cutting grass.

Geoff brings significant experience and education to his work with Lyackson. He spent 15 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, earned a B.A. in Emergency and Security Management, and holds several specialized industry certifications.

When he isn’t at work, Geoff loves to spend time with his family and do anything and everything outdoors, from scuba diving and skiing to fishing and backpacking.