Penína (Sara-Lynn) Harding

Penína (Sara-Lynn) Harding is a Secwepemc Scholar from Esk’étemc (formerly known as Alkali Lake Indian Band). She is in the final year of her PhD – Natural Resources & Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her doctoral dissertation is “Documenting Esk’étemc Experience of Place to Prepare for Generative Land-Use Planning” and her areas of research specialization are Indigenous Environmental Planning and Indigenous Data Sovereignty. She is a recipient of a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2022-25) and the 2020-21 BC Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR) Doctoral Scholarship, and 2021 Alumni of the National Screen Institute’s TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators. Penina is currently serving UNBC as the Interim Associate Vice-President – Indigenous from July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2025. She oversees the UNBC First Nations Centre and is leading the relaunch of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. UNBC’s primary campus, where Penina is based, is in the unceded territory of Lheidli T’enneh Nation (Dakelh).