Courtney completed his PhD at the University of Alberta where he studied the displacement of Nakoda peoples in the formation of the Rocky Mountain National Parks. Along with colonial power relations, he examined the impacts on health, education and culture in Nakoda communities. He currently works with the Indigenous Health Research Group at the University of Ottawa and is interested in how Aboriginal communities negoitate enduring colonial legacies as well as pressing health, food security and social issues by engaging in local food procurement. This research involves both diverse First Nations in Northern Canada and Aboriginal communities in urban contexts.