Brenda Gaertner, since joining Mandell Pinder in 1986, has worked with Indigenous peoples in their pursuit of the recognition of Indigenous and Aboriginal title and rights, modern self-governance, resource governance and management, project agreements, economic development, and nation-to-nation and government-to-government agreements. Brenda’s experience and expertise allow her to contribute legal, policy and negotiation skills to a myriad of projects and teams. Her decades of experience have honed her abilities to work respectfully, to identify solutions, and find paths forward, even in difficult situations.
For decades Brenda has actively listened to Indigenous leaders, elders and knowledge holders. She has been taught that building respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and effecting transformative change are foundational to reconciliation. She has helped many First Nations find unique solutions to reach their goals, including collaborative governance and management agreements, mutual benefit agreements, impact benefit agreements, shared territory agreements, and First Nation-to-First Nation protocols.
Brenda is deeply committed to working with Aboriginal people in their pursuit of the recognition of their inherent and aboriginal title and rights to healthy ecosystems, fish, and aquatic resources. Aware of the vulnerabilities facing fresh and marine water ecosystems, she is honoured to work with Nations who are proactively managing these precious resources. Brenda is a long-standing member of Mandell Pinder LLP’s specific claims team. She remains committed to helping to resolve these historic wrongs and sees such resolution as a necessary part of reconciliation.
