Rebecca McKay

For Rebecca McKay, learning about forestry meant learning a special way to view trees. "Tree identification becomes second nature. Trees are not just things to analyse, but like people, they are things to understand and respect."

Rebecca's parents taught her to respect nature, and this coupled with her love for the outdoors and in what goes on in forests made her choice simple. "I wanted to work outdoors, and felt at ease in the forest environment."

While still a student, Rebecca landed her first job in forestry. It was there that she saw all the options available to her in the field, so she made a commitment to stay in school. "Once I had my taste of forestry work, and saw the number of options available, I knew I definitely wanted to continue my studies." She was drawn to the west coast "with its big trees and mountains," and entered the forestry program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She graduated in 1998, something she feels is her greatest accomplishment in life so far. "I see it as a step toward the great things I will do."

After graduation at her job in an Aboriginal company, Rebecca was the only female not doing any clerical work. "I felt a bit intimidated at first, but I was given responsibilities like everyone else. I felt like I should make sure there was no doubt in their minds that a woman was capable of working with the best of them." Having now held many jobs in forestry, Rebecca now works for the National Aboriginal Forestry Association (NAFA) in Ottawa. It is her first office-based job.

Rebecca says that there is a great need Aboriginal forestry professionals "to assist their communities in management. Not to prepare for this responsibility is to lose out on an opportunity for great economic gains. It is important to remember that Native values are vital to the practice of forestry and other sciences Aboriginal foresters and other professionals can represent the interests and values of their communities to regain control of land resources."

As for schooling, Rebecca admits it sometimes seems a little insignificant. "It is hard to imagine that a difficult science or math class is going to do anyone any good, least of all, on a bright sunny day. But, it is one of many very important steps, small and large, on the path to making a difference. As insignificant as they may seem, these little days are the only way that the big days will go well. Try putting a roof on a brick house without using any bricks, and you will know what I mean. Enjoy the little accomplishments, because they are no less important and a lot more frequent."