Leader of Indigenous-Led Conservation and Land Stewardship Efforts in Canada Wins 2023 Bright Award
By Monica Schreiber
Stanford Law School
August 3, 2023
Today, as one of North America’s leaders in the movement for Indigenous-led conservation and land stewardship, Courtois is not only living out her grandfather’s wish for her, she is helping thousands of other Indigenous Nations in Canada (often referred to as First Nations) realize the same dream—all while helping protect swaths of land and water across Canada.
In recognition of her decades of work making sure Indigenous Peoples in Canada are holding the pen when lines are drawn on the map and managing and stewarding their lands and waters, Courtois was selected as the 2023 winner of Stanford University’s highest environmental prize, the Bright Award for Environmental Sustainability. The annual award was established by a gift from Stanford Law School (SLS) alumnus and lifelong conservationist Raymond E. Bright, JD ’59, who passed away in 2011.