OUR FOUNDER

It was Ernie Bussidor’s love of the land, our culture, and the caribou that helped launch the Seal River Watershed Alliance and advance our Nations’ shared vision to create an Indigenous Protected Area.

Ernie Bussidor

1956 - 2024

Ernie Bussidor was raised by his maternal grandparents, Peter and Mary Bussidor, Dene elders who taught Ernie all aspects of Dene history, culture, and language. He was also taught how to hunt, fish, and sustain himself off the land. Ernie learned the drum songs by listening to the Elders and was taught the stories of life on the land through his grandparents. The dark years of Dene Village, Churchill remained with him. After attending high school in Winnipeg, Ernie moved to Tadoule Lake in 1974 where he found abundant caribou and lakes teeming with fish.

Over the years, Ernie served many roles in our community. He was elected for three terms as Chief and twice as Councillor for the Sayisi Dene First Nation, he was the Patrol Commander for the Canadian Ranger Patrol Group Tadoule Lake, and he was an alternate member of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board.

“Our history goes back ten thousand years in this area. To be proud of our heritage is something we have to pass on to our youth, because they're the ones who are going to be telling the story after we're gone.”

—Ernie Bussidor

In 2016 outsiders came to the Seal River Watershed and slaughtered over 5,000 caribou. Ernie was heartbroken but driven to ensure this didn’t happen again. He began reaching out to his friends in neighbouring communities, and soon the Seal River Watershed Alliance was launched to work toward establishing the Indigenous Protected Area.

May Ernie’s passion and need for self-determination, united voices, and the love of family and the Caribou continue to fuel this work and continue push and propel us forward.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you, Ernie.

 “We live in paradise, and it's up to us to make sure we protect our lands and we live in harmony with the land like our parents did.”

— Ernie Bussidor