About Us

Over the past two decades Harley Bastien and Brad Himour have successfully braided together Indigenous Knowledge and western science to create positive collaboration between Indigenous communities, government and industry. Our philosophy is simple: to serve the best interests of the Indigenous communities we represent. We offer Indigenous mentoring and capacity building as part of our engagement, research and regulatory reporting services. Braiding together concerns for the land, Indigenous rights and interests, economic development and Indigenous community development requires patience, hard work, and an inclusive approach working with industry and government to achieve positive outcomes. We seek to create positive community benefits as part of every project. Your interests are our primary concern.

Harley Bastien was born on the Piikani Nation and raised in the Oldman's river valley by his parents and grandparents. From childhood Harley was taught to live in harmony and balance with nature and the natural order of things. He was also made aware of the spiritual energies of the land and the importance of preserving and protecting these spiritual energies. One of his grandmother’s sayings is, “if the spirit of the land leaves all the animals, planets and people will suffer and will no longer be”. Harley was taught by his father and grandfather how to hunt, trap and fish and work with animals on the family ranch. His mother and grandmother thought him to harvest plants for food and medicines along with the traditional daily duties of early Blackfoot life before the arrival of the Europeans. He was shown the various locations of the spiritual energy power spots where vision quests and other spiritual connections take place.

The environment has always been at the center of Elder Harley Bastien's life and work. He started his career in the industry as a field technician. Over time he worked his way up to owning and operating his own environmental consulting business called Harmony Walkers which he operated for 17 years. Harmony Walkers provided services to the private sector both nationally and internationally, including services for developers and project proponents from Asia, Europe and North America. Harley currently sits on various advisory broads and panels both nationally and internationally including post secondary schools and all levels of government. He can often be found at his beloved Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp which he founded in 2010, where here he teaches the parallels between Indigenous Knowledge and western science in the context of the Oldman's riparian forest. In 2023 Harley Bastien was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal for Indigenous engagement in western Canada.

Brad Himour is an Indigenous consultation and engagement specialist based in Calgary, Alberta. Brad obtained a B.A. in History and M.A. in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. As a child growing up in southern Saskatchewan, Brad was fascinated by the wildlife diversity and tipi rings found throughout the river and creek valleys and shortgrass prairie around his parent’s acreage. Following completion of his studies, Brad successfully completed over 250 cultural resource management assessments across western Canada working co-operatively with First Nation, Metis and Dene communities. Brad then served as a Senior Archaeologist and Indigenous Liaison with Parks Canada, where he worked with multiple First Nation communities in Alberta and BC. In 2013, Brad was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for Indigenous engagement in western Canada. Over the past ten years, Brad has worked with First Nation communities as an Indigenous engagement specialist, senior regulatory report author and historical researcher, and as a strategic consultant to private businesses for Indigenous reconciliation and consultation.