About Us

Who We Are

Reciprocity Research Inc. is a social enterprise based in Victoria, BC.

Reciprocity was founded in Summer 2019 by Craig Candler (PhD), a second-generation Canadian born on the prairies in Treaty six country and now settled on the west coast. Craig is a dad, a home and business owner, and a community-based researcher and cultural anthropologist. He helped found the Firelight Group and has worked for more than 25 years with and for Indigenous communities across what is now Western Canada.

Reciprocity is looking towards certification as a B Corporation.

RECIPROCITY

rec·i·proc·i·ty
noun
1. the practice of building relationships through exchanging things of value over time for mutual benefit; latin root: moving back and forth.

Meet The Team

Craig Candler

FOUNDER + CEO, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Craig Candler (PhD) is a cultural anthropologist and Founder and CEO of Reciprocity Research Inc. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Craig has more than 25 years of experience in environmental, regulatory, and indigenous rights processes. He helped found the Firelight Group and works with communities to produce strong, respected, and respectful research at the applied intersection of ecological, medical, and legal anthropology.

craig@reciprocityconnects.ca

Sammy Kent

PRESIDENT, RECIPROCITY RESTORATION

Sammy Kent (BSc, PAg) is a restoration professional and Indigenous entrepreneur with almost 10 years of experience working directly on native plant and community-based restoration projects. Sammy has extensive experience working with Indigenous communities on knowledge and use studies, environmental assessments, ecological and cultural use mapping, and community-driven projects supporting Indigenous knowledge, sensitive ecosystems, and restoration. Sammy is a member in good standing with the BC Institute of Agrology, a Certified Permaculture Designer, Organic Horticulture Specialist, and Arborist Technician.

Sarah Reid

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RECIPROCITY TRUSTS SOCIETY

Sarah Reid (MA) has worked with Indigenous communities in BC and Alberta for 8+ years, supporting the design and implementation of community-based socio-economic baseline and impact assessment studies; stewardship, land use and strategic planning processes.

Ash Morris

CULTURAL ECOLOGIST, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Ash Morris (BSc, BIT) is a cultural ecologist at Reciprocity providing support for design and implementation of research projects, and environment impact assessment. Originally from Australia, Ash moved to Canada to continue her work with Indigenous Nations. Her previous work includes developing and implementing community-based monitoring programs and research for Indigenous ecological knowledge studies.

ash@reciprocityconnects.ca

Justine Correia

CULTURAL RESEARCHER, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Justine is a cultural researcher (MA) with Reciprocity. For the past 4 years, Justine has worked with Indigenous communities and organizations on community-based land and water governance projects. At Reciprocity, Justine’s current work focuses on supporting Indigenous communities in stewardship projects, land use and occupancy studies, environmental assessments and land and water policy development.

justine@reciprocityconnects.ca

Dexter Robson

CULTURAL GEOGRAPHER, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Dexter Robson (MA) is a cultural geographer at Reciprocity whose main focus is on participatory research, mapping and GIS. For over half a decade, Dexter has worked with Indigenous communities as a geographer and social science researcher with a speciality in mapping, traditional knowledge and use studies, GIS, and data management. Dexter also has extensive experience working with First Nation communities in management planning for parks and protected areas.

dexter@reciprocityconnects.ca

Erin Rolleman

RESTORATION ECOLOGIST, RECIPROCITY RESTORATION

Erin Rolleman (MSc) is a restoration ecologist at Reciprocity Restoration providing support for restoration project design and implementation. Erin has a background as a plant ecologist and GIS technician, and has experience working on native plant restoration, sensitive ecosystem mapping, and developing interactive mapping tools to support community-led restoration.

Gemma Tarling

JUNIOR CULTURAL RESEARCHER, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Gemma is a cultural researcher with Reciprocity. For her Bachelor of Arts degree, Gemma completed a double major in Anthropology and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria where she is currently editing her master’s thesis with a focus on heritage stewardship. Gemma has a background in archaeological fieldwork, ethnohistoric analysis, and community-led research. Classrooms and office spaces may be where her educational journey began, but Gemma has a propensity towards lessons accompanied by the gratitude and humility that come with learning on and from the land.

 

Dorothy Hodgins

JUNIOR CULTURAL RESEARCHER, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR, RECIPROCITY TRUSTS

Dorothy (BA) works with Reciprocity Research as a Junior Cultural Researcher assisting with impact assessments, traditional knowledge and use studies and climate monitoring program design. Hailing from Indigenous Studies, Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Victoria, Dorothy also has four years of professional experience in environmental justice organizing, Indigenous service planning, and equity-based design. She is passionate about harnessing creativity, compassion, humility and humour towards meaningful initiatives.

Maeve McAllister

FIRE ETHNOECOLOGIST, RECIPROCITY RESEARCH

Maeve McAllister (MA, PhD Candidate) is a cultural researcher and fire ethnoecologist with Reciprocity, providing support for community-based land governance projects. Maeve is also a PhD candidate in Anthropology whose research examines the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty, environmental governance, and settler-state bureaucracy in the context of wildfire mitigation projects. Her work focuses on how Indigenous and non-Indigenous actors navigate cross-jurisdictional collaborations in landscape management and is committed to ethical, reciprocal, and community-driven scholarship and research.

maeve@reciprocityconnects.ca

Associates

Karen Fediuk

COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM AND NUTRITION RESEARCHER

Karen Fediuk (MSc) provides technical food systems research support to Indigenous communities, with a focus on understanding current practice, confidence in and safety of the traditional food system, and rights-based food harvesting and food independence/security. In 2017, the Dietitians of Canada presented Karen with the Association Catalyst Award in recognition of her professional expertise and achievements in advancing the field. Besides working with Reciprocity, Karen is the Project Manager for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security for First Nations.

Thomas Munson

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER AND ECOLOGIST

Thomas (PAg) is a field ecologist from Victoria, BC and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree from University of Waterloo, and a Restoration of Natural Systems Diploma and Master of Science degree from the University of Victoria. Thomas has worked with First Nations in the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, and Colombia, South America for much of the past 20 years. He has worked in negotiations of comprehensive land claim agreements, ethnobotany, traditional use studies, environmental impact assessment, and protection of traditional use and archaeological sites from resource development activities.

Thomas has worked in stewardship, restoration, plant propagation, and management of the natural areas of Garry oak ecosystems in Victoria and Saanich. He has developed and taught online courses in ecological and cultural restoration, and agroecology on Vancouver Island. He is passionate about protection of the natural world and its many wonders.