Nicole Stiffarm
Tribal Partnerships Manager
Nicole Stiffarm is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy MT. Nicole is a mother of 3, and a dog mom to Griffon & Jack. She is an experienced Program Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the workforce development and internship field. She is skilled in federal internship management, nonprofit organizations, event planning and coordination, customer service, and recruitment. She is a strong program and project management professional with an emphasis in American Indian undergraduate students enrolled in natural resource degree programs. She previously worked at Salish Kootenai College as the Program Manager for the Center for Tribal Research & Education in Ecosystem Sciences. She is the former Education Committee Chair for the Intertribal Timber Council and a former Delegate for the Inaugural Womens Forest Congress. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in Forest Management from Salish Kootenai College, and is completing a master's degree in tribal natural resource management.
Get to Know Me Further
Growing up on a reservation in North-central Montana, I was raised in a culturally rich traditional Cree family that upheld generations of teachings centered around our natural world. Those teachings led me to find the field of forestry and make it my professional goal. The strong connection between the traditional role of a Cree woman as a caretaker and nurturer led me to take those same principles and apply them to forested landscapes was a natural fit for how I viewed my role within this field. Becoming a mother through this journey has strengthened my approach and increased my resolve to ensure that my children and grandchildren would have the same opportunity to experience and appreciate a healthy natural world and honor the resilience of the generations of Indigenous people who have fought to maintain our connection to the land and water.