SAMANTHA MATTERS

Samantha is an accomplished academic, published Indigenous researcher, and foresight strategist. She carriers Métis and mixed settler ancestry. On her Métis side, Sam is of the Ross, Collins, Grant and Ouellette families who have roots in the Meadow Lake region of Saskatchewan. Her settler family came to what is currently known as Alberta from Sctoland and England three generations ago. Sam is one of the Founding Directors of Future Ancestors Services and specializing in decolonizing engagement approaches, relational futures building and Indigenous-led youth program development. Drawing on her experience from both the public and non-profit sectors, Sam’s foresight work explores possible futures through the lens of Indigenous futurism, ancestry, and equity.

Sam studied at the University of Alberta Augustana Faculty in Camrose, Alberta, Canada where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Graduating with honours, her undergraduate research focused on learning the Indigenous histories and traditional knowledge associated with the Beaver Hills region in Alberta. She worked closely with Cree and Métis elders, and this work was published in the Canadian Journal of Native Studies (2016). In 2014 Samantha received the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award for this work. She furthered her education in Tkaranto (Toronto) in 2019 where she completed a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University. Specializing in Indigenous and decolonizing futures from a Métis perspective, Sam’s graduate research is the first of its kind and was completed in close partnership with the Métis Nation of Ontario. In 2020 this research was awarded the Association of Professional Futurists Student Recognition Award and OCAD University’s Presidential Medal.

Sam began her career working as an Engagement Coordinator in the department of Indigenous Relations at the Government of Alberta where she focused on consultation and engagement around environmental policy development. She left her government role to live and work in Iceland for several months before her career transitioned to the non-profit sector. Sam spent two years working in science outreach at the Telus World of Science - Edmonton. During her time in Toronto, she was also the Executive Director of a young non-profit organization, the Centre for Indigenous Innovation and Technology which aims to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the technology and innovation sectors in Canada. She represented graduate students on the Board of Governors of OCAD University and was chosen to sit on the University’s Presidential Selection Committee. Having returned to Edmonton, Sam is now bringing her commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices to her work with Future Ancestors Services and fellowship roles including the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners (NGFP) Award Fellowship.