Christa brings to the Measurement and Assessment Program a unique mix of skills and experience working with First Nations, Industry and Government in very challenging environments and situations.
Christa was employed from 2005 to 2007 by the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Fort McMurray Alberta as their Regulatory Affairs Coordinator. Christa’s role in Fort McMurray allowed her to participate in regulatory hearings, impact-benefit agreement negotiations, community government and industry capacity building sessions, as well as participate in various conferences on Aboriginal Consultation and Law, Aboriginal Oil and Gas, and completion of Ripple Effects Aboriginal Awareness Training.
Christa’s main focus with the M&A team relates well to her experience. Christa is maintaining her work with Indigenous peoples and expanding her experience and knowledge base with a broad spectrum of work relating to measurement and reporting systems. Christa contributes to a variety of different projects within the institute in an effort to ensure that she is continually learning and broadening her perspectives.
A large component of Christa’s portfolio of work is the coordination and facilitation of the Canadian Sustainability Indicator Network (CSIN) as a function of the CSIN Secretariat, housed at IISD. CSIN provides over 1000 indicator practitioners with interactive and web-based opportunities to learn and discuss the theory and practice of sustainability indicator development and use.
Master of Natural Resources Management (2004): University of Manitoba.
Bachelor of Recreation Studies (2002): University of Manitoba.
Christa focused her research on the community of Iskatewizaagegan Independent First Nation in Shoal Lake, Ontario. Her thesis research looked at understanding of the connections between the people and the land, and indicators of social-ecological health.
Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms Through Farm-level Studies of Adaptation to Weather Events in Alberta, Canada
Paper: Darren A. Swanson, Henry David Venema, Christa Rust, Jennifer Medlock, 2009
Measuring Progress, Strengthening Governance and Promoting Positive Change: Developing sustainability indicators with Winnipeg’s urban First Nations community
Paper: Christa Rust, 2009
Environmental Assessment and Saskatchewan's First Nations: A resource handbook
Paper: Christa Rust, Brenda McLeod, 2008
Developing a Sustainability Indicators System to Measure the Well-being of Winnipeg’s First Nations Community: Framework Development and the Community Engagement Process (Preliminary Report)
Paper: Christa Rust, 2008
Building Knowledge, Measuring Well-being: Developing Sustainability Indicators for Winnipeg's First Nations Community (Pre-publication Version)
Paper: Christa Rust, 2007