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Bart is a Canadian settler with Danish and French ancestry, as three of his grandparents immigrated from Denmark and France. Bart’s maternal grandfather was born in Quebec, rooting lineage in Canada tracing back to the 17th century when his ancestors were part of the Commune des Argoulets and the Filles du Roi. This means that Bart’s ancestors had a direct role in the colonization of Canada. Understanding one’s history, family’s role, and one’s nation in acts of oppression is essential to show up in a good way.

Bart has lived in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa, the traditional land of the Ktunaxa people, for most of his life. He married Elaine in 1989, and they have three daughters born in the 1990s in Fort Nelson, on Denedeh (Dene lands). When not working, Bart enjoys the outdoors and the beauty of the Kootenays, just west of the Rocky Mountains.

As a social worker with 35 years of experience in Indigenous communities, he offers humility, experience, and wisdom to the organizations he works with through Two Bears Consulting. Bart provides support to Indigenous leaders to help them to create lasting change for Indigenous children, youth, families, and communities.

Through strong relationships with leaders and knowledge keepers, Bart has helped communities improve their governance and operations. He also uses his advocacy skills to support Indigenous communities in working with provincial and federal governments. As the Executive Director of a child welfare organization, he help lead the first Indigenous organization to be exempted from outdated regulations that didn’t benefit Indigenous children and families, and instead helped them to implement a new practice framework based on Signs of Safety that honored the traditional values and beliefs of their Nation.

Bart believes in using self-awareness and reflection in how organizations operate. His work with Indigenous communities has influenced his approach. He shares this insight in his Master’s thesis called “How One Becomes What One Is: Transformative Journeys to Allyship” (2019). Bart highlights that being a true ally involves a complex journey of understanding, listening, questioning, changing, awakening, reconciling, and progressing together (p. 152).

Since December 2017, Bart has been an independent consultant, supporting Indigenous communities in self-governance and health programs. He also helps non-Indigenous organizations offer culturally safe health and social services.