Tara Lamothe is Métis, Jobin family, from the Lesser Slave Lake area in Treaty 8 territory in northern Alberta. She currently lives in WSÁNEĆ territory, and is based in Firelight’s Victoria office, on the Territories of Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) and Lekwungen (Songhees) First Nations. Tara holds a Masters degree in Resource and Environmental Management (Planning) at Simon Fraser University, and a Honours B.Sc. in Biogeography from the University of Toronto. Tara’s experience and academic training focusses on Indigenous land relationship planning and governance, and negotiations.

Tara has spent over 10 years supporting Indigenous responses to mining projects, including collaborating with communities, First Nations leadership groups, legal academics and a range of NGOs on law reform projects in B.C. Tara also researched and published on the regulation and environmental impacts of placer mining in B.C. and edited a comprehensive review of innovative mining laws from around the world that better address Indigenous and environmental issues.