George Barnaby, of Fort Good Hope, has deep ties to his community and a long history of involvement in local governance which he brings to his role on the Sahtu Land and Water Board.

Growing up, George spent time at residential school but was able to get back to the land and learn from Elders after he left school.

“Most everything I work at, I bring a Dene perspective in there, because that's who we are, and that's what was there for thousands of years, is Dene knowledge,” he said.

Early in his career, George worked for the band council in Fort Good Hope, where he was involved in advocating for local input in land management decisions. This was a sigificant shift from earlier practices when government decisions about land use were made without consulting local communities. 

George’s involvement with the Sahtu Land and Water Board began in the early 1990s, a period marked by extensive oil and gas exploration in the region. His long tenure on the board has seen numerous projects, including handling complex issues related to water licenses and waste management. These responsibilities require careful evaluation of permit applications to ensure compliance with environmental standards and community concerns.

“It's really important to protect the land and the wildlife for the people,” he said, viewing his long service on the board as part of a broader collective effort to safeguard the land and its resources. 

“We also work with the other people in the North … So we all try to work together to help each other out. So we talk about things and learn from each other what kind of things we can do to protect ourselves, protect the wildlife, and the land, and water.”