Originally from southern Ontario, Deborah has lived in northern Ontario (Sudbury), northern Manitoba (Thompson) and northern BC, eventually setting in Vancouver where she resides with her family. Her Aboriginal heritage stems from Muskoka, Ontario where her mother’s family, being of the Mohawk First Nation, eventually settled. Being of Mohawk decent, Deborah is aware of the challenges faced by Indigenous people and understands the desperate need for change for many Indigenous people in so many countries around the globe.
Deborah has enjoyed a decades long career in the investment industry after completing the Marketing Management Program (International Business) at BCIT. Travel has become an important part of her life and Deborah finds that visiting different cultures and lesser travelled countries offers experiences and opportunities for learning and connections not usually available when visiting more popular destinations. Some recent adventures have taken her to Cambodia, Vietnam, Turkey, Jordan, Tibet and Nepal and she has just recently completed the Tour de Mont Blanc trek.
Deborah and her husband completed the Kokoda Track in 2017 and upon arriving back in Vancouver she was so affected by the hardship and difficulties of life along Kokoda, she knew that somehow she needed to make a difference. Luckily, her path soon crossed with Jesse Leta’s whose own vision to make a difference along Kokoda was also beginning. They have been working together since the beginning of 2018 bringing Indigenous Kokoda Adventures to life.
For Deborah, working with Jesse and being the North American representative for Indigenous Kokoda Adventures has been, and continues to be, a new adventure in every respect. She is honoured and extremely proud to be on this journey and looks forward to watching the Indigenous people of Kokoda reclaim their heritage and legacy by standing tall and opening their arms to welcome the outside world to the beautiful place they call their home.
