Jessica Tallman

Steward Of Tomorrow

A member of the Blackfoot Confederacy from the Blood Tribe of southern Alberta and Blackfeet Tribe of Browning, Montana, Jessica Tallman joined Syncrude’s Reclamation and Closure Department in July 2005. She came aboard as an intern after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Lethbridge the month before, and in February of 2006 she became a permanent employee. “My mother and grandparents raised me in a Blackfoot traditional way,” says Jessica. “I was told to honour my culture and remember the teachings, but to focus on Western education so that I could help my people in the future.” Jessica enrolled in the Syncrude-supported BEAHR program (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources) and is now helping to incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into reclamation work. Says Jessica: “Syncrude is proactive in recognizing the needs and concerns of First Nations in the region, and I hope to contribute to this effort through reclamation.”