Introducing Chanda Blesi-Geyshick: New Tribal Program Assistant

Boozhoo! Chanda Blesi-Geyshick indizhinikaaz. Aandegoneashiik indojibwewinikaaz dash mooz indoodem. Gakijiwanong indibendaagoz, aanawi International Falls indoonjibaa. Onigamiinsing indaa.

Hello! My name is Chanda Blesi-Geyshick. My Ojibwe name is Crow Woman and I am from the moose clan. I belong to Gakijiwanong First Nation, but I am from International Falls. I currently live in Duluth, MN.

I was always taught to first introduce myself to people in my peoples’ language, and although I am no fluent speaker, I do my best to adhere to this teaching. Because I grew up in International Falls, Minnesota, I spent many of my formative years hiking, boating, and swimming in the Voyageurs National Park. My people, the Lac la Croix Ojibwe, have deep cultural and historical ties to Voyageurs National Park due to both their proximity to the park as well as the fur trade.

I am the Tribal Program Project Assistant for the Voyageurs Conservancy. In this role, most of my time is spent working on a tribal co-stewardship project, planning and coordinating workshops, developing materials for workshops and reports, and facilitating communication with tribal, park, and community members. I was first introduced to the field of tribal co-stewardship through my summer jobs with the 1854 Treaty Authority, where I accompanied their biologists on field outings helping them with wild rice, loon, and invasive species surveys. I went on to complete an internship at University of Minnesota-Duluth where I was the tribal liaison for their bioremediation project in the St. Louis River estuary. I graduated in May of 2025 from UMD with a Bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies and a minor in sociology.

When I am not working, I enjoy roller blading the Waabizheshikana Trail in Duluth, drawing landscapes, and taking hammock naps!

About Voyageurs Conservancy

Founded in 1965, the Voyageurs Conservancy (formerly known as Voyageurs National Park Association) represents a community of people committed to the future of Minnesota’s National Park. As an independent charitable organization, the Conservancy works with the National Park Service to support recreation and conservation projects, advance education and public engagement, and protect the wild nature of the park for future generations