Leah Culver

Background

About Leah Culver

I am a Project Direction and the Practice Area Lead for the Social Research team at Shared Value Solutions. I am a sociocultural anthropologist with a strong background in qualitative research, project management, and community based social research. I work with First Nation and Métis communities across Canada on various projects that include: socio-economic impact assessments, indigenous knowledge and land use studies, Oral History research, documentary film production, and community well-being assessments. Outside of Canada, I have done evaluation work for a small NGO in Kenya and research with small-scale farmers in Paraguay. I recently completed my first independent short doc - Route 88 - a film about keeping your love for the mountains while facing the inevitability of aging. I also worked with a talented team to complete the feature length documentary film Ininnewi Pimatisiwin, Our Lives. This documentary is the result of a 2015 Land Use and Occupancy Study completed with Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba. This film shows how connected Pimicikamak is to this land and water, and their story of assert their rights and roles as stewards of the lands and waters. I am a strong advocate for community-based and community-led participatory research. I believe in the power of people’s stories to bring broader meaning and change to current issues. I have an M.A. in Public Issues Anthropology and International Development from the University of Guelph. Member of the Canadian Anthropology Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.