Deana Machin

Deana Machin is a member of the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation and grew up in her home community along Okanagan Lake near Vernon BC. She has been active in the field of fisheries management and policy for 20-years, specializing in strategic planning and Indigenous engagement in fisheries governance and management initiatives. Deana is the former Strategic Development Manager for the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC where for 10-years the purpose of her work was to build collaborative and effective relationships among First Nations and with Crown governments and NGOs. Prior to her time with the FNFC, she was the Fisheries Program Manager for the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) for six years. While working for her Nation, Deana led the Reintroduction of Sockeye Salmon into the Okanagan Basin Initiative, which in 2004 saw the first release of Okanagan sockeye fry into Skaha Lake, and she collaborated with federal and provincial governments and other partners on the development of the Okanagan Basin Fish Water Management Tool model and the Okanagan River Restoration Initiative. She is currently the Senior Indigenous Advisor with the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative, a granting program that supports First Nation communities in BC to advance their vision of watershed health and security.