Jenessa describes herself as a proud Indigenous woman. She represents the Kluane First Nations (KFN) and lives in Burwash landing in Yukon Canada and has worked first hand with different research projects in her traditional territory. She represented Kluane/Canada's youth in the 2012 Bio Diversity Conference for the Cop11 meetings in India and worked with Ikaarvik in representing KFN -- with the main objective of taking research into their own hands. Jenessa explained that Kluane in particular has seen drastic changes in water levels at the lake due to shifting of the Kaskawalsh Glacier and change in the weather, “less snow and warmer winters and even less wind in the summer.”
Currently, Jenessa is pursuing full time studies in Kinesiology which she hopes will transition to Nutrition. She values traditional knowledge and eco-friendly living, “as I live in a small community, it is important to consider what I put back into the environment."