Merrell-Ann Phare is a lawyer, writer and the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), a national First Nation charitable environmental organisation. She is a Commissioner of the International Joint Commission. As Chief Negotiator for the Government of the Northwest Territories, Merrell-Ann lead the negotiation of transboundary water agreements in the Mackenzie River Basin and the creation of Thaidene Nene, a national and terrritorial park in the east arm of Great Slave Lake in NWT.

She is the author of the book ‘Denying the Source: the Crisis of First Nations Water Rights’ and co-author of 'Ethical Water'. She facilitates the Collaborative Leadership Initiative in southern Manitoba. She is a member of the Forum for Leadership on Water, is a recipient of Canada's Clean 50 Award and regularly speaks on water ethics, governance, and reconciliation issues.