myia antone - founder/director
Myia Antone is a proud youth from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), with Ukrainian and Norwegian roots. Growing up in Squamish, she explored and loved taking care of the land that her ancestors have occupied since time immemorial. She is currently a student in an advanced Squamish language program and loves learning the language her ancestors spoke.
She is a Wilderness First Responder and has led canoe and hiking trips for Indigenous youth around BC and down the Yukon river. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Indigenous Life Sport Academy and learning how to mountain bike, climb and backcountry ski!
When she’s not in school, you can find Myia hiding in the mountains, swimming in the ocean, trying to pet everyone’s dog or falling asleep during a movie.
sandy ward - backcountry mentorship team co-lead
Sandy Ward is a member of the Lil’wat Nation, and an avid snowboarder, mountain biker and climber. She has been snowboarding for 20 years and has been a competitive halfpipe rider, snowboard instructor and backcountry enthusiast. During the winter season when not teaching snowboarding in the resort you can find Sandy in the backcountry on her traditional territory.
She has had the incredible opportunity to travel and snowboard around the world, including working as a tail guide in Japan, a winter season in Chamonix, France and a few seasons instructing in the southern hemisphere.
Sandy got her start in snowboarding as a member of the First Nations Snowboard Team, in its first year of operation. Since getting her instructor certification she has volunteered her time as a coach for the FNST recreational program.
melissa arnott - trail running & snowshoe c0-lead
Melissa is Anishinaabe Kwe from the Ojibway Nation with unknown European ancestry. Her family is from the community of Batchewana, located within the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. She is proud to be Indigenous and is on a journey to reclaim her culture. She has taught herself how to bead and is actively learning Anishinaabemowin; she hopes that her children will grow up with these cultural teachings and can pass it on to future generations.
When she is outdoors, Melissa loves spending time on her mountain bike and running, navigating the vast network of trails located in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. She has recently started snowshoeing, thanks to Indigenous Women Outdoors, and she’s looking forward to re-exploring more winter activities.
Building community, connecting with the land, and sharing lived experiences & knowledge in meaningful a way are some of the reasons why Melissa is passionate about being involved with Indigenous Women Outdoors. She’s looking forward to meeting other Indigenous women* and to forming meaningful lasting relationships. Ambe-agwajiing (let’s go outside)!
Hayley Gendron - Hiking Mentorship Co-Lead
Hayley is Algonquin (Omamìwìnini) and a member of the Shabot Obaadjiwan Nation with English and French ancestry. She grew up hiking and canoeing in Ontario, before moving west for school and dedicating significant time to the mountains. Climbing, backpacking and paddling have taken her to mountain ranges and rivers around the world, but she is grateful to have spent the last while getting to know the lands and waters around her home on the beautiful Sunshine Coast on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Shíshálh territories.
Her passions for Indigenous rights and conservation ecology have led her to aid in forestry research in Patagonia, guide in the Rocky Mountains, and work on climate action projects with Bribri Indigenous communities in Costa Rica. She is an Anishinaabemowin language learner, Indigenous youth mentor, and this fall will be starting law school at UVic’s program in Indigenous legal orders, so she can serve communities like her own in the future. Until then, you can find her playing ukulele, doing crossword puzzles, or following banana slugs around in the forest!
michele lobo - mountain biking c0-lead
Michele is Yellowknives Dene First Nation along with French Canadian ancestry. She loves spending her time outdoors cycling, hiking, running, snow shoeing, ski touring, and canoe tripping – basically anything that involves moving down a trail. Mountain biking has always held a special place in her life. She started riding on the urban trails in downtown Toronto and guided for several biking community initiatives and assisted in volunteer run bike shops over the years. Michele has traveled to ride throughout North America and is now grateful to have settled on the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory with some of the best trails in the world. Michele completed her PMBIA coaching certification through the IWO mentorship program and is now stoked to share her love for the trails as she reconnects to her culture.
When not on her bike, you can find her playing in the snow, trying to get her dogs to sit nicely outside the local donut shop, working on her Dene greetings, or knitting her next pair of socks.