Ruby Dunstan

As the first female Chief of the Lytton First Nation, Ruby was a leader in the struggle to protect the Stein Valley, ancestral territory of the Nlaka'pamux people. A persuasive voice for her community and her beliefs, Ruby built solidarity with other indigenous groups and environmentalists, and was a key negotiator in the formation of the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Provincial Park, co-managed by the Lytton First Nation and BC Parks. Her inspired vision and passionate advocacy for land and people will leave the timeless legacy of this intact cultural watershed. It provides habitat for animals as well as sustenance, medicine, and spiritual grounds for Nlaka'pamux communities.

Above and background image: Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Provincial Park
(Photo: Gail Ross, BC Parks)

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Ruby with former Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo at the Elders Council for Parks gathering in 2006.

View from Gott Peak, Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Provincial Park.

Affiliations:

• Lytton First Nation, Chief 1983-1991
• Stein Management Board - Co-chair

Awards:

• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - J. B. Harkin Conservation Award 1996
• Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal 2003