Cultural Competency & Relevancy, and Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

Presented by ​Sammy Matsaw Jr., PhD​​ Pronouns: he/him

Tribal affiliations: Shoshone-Bannock and Oglala Lakota

Research Scientist for the Fish and Wildlife Department of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

In the sciences so much is lost in communication, when communicating is the heart of the work scientists do as managers and researchers in natural resources. ​The nuance in language is not lost in nomenclature, taxonomy, and so on; however, in everyday speaking with people from different ideas, backgrounds, and ways of knowing there is a lack of understanding. In this workshop we will enhance awareness of biases, communication skills, and the disparities between cultural knowledges. This workshop is not a be-all and end-all rather a starting point for ongoing self-work and labor to sustainably lift one’s own awareness evolving towards social and environmental justice. Especially important when standardizing data that intersects with tribal data sovereignty, and intellectual property based in Indigenous Knowledges.

Sammy is a father, husband, grandfather, and extended family member amongst the Shoshone-Bannocks (enrolled), and Oglala Lakota. He is a pipe-carrier and Sundancer with both his mother and father’s tribes as a result of needing traditional healing from being a combat veteran. He brings ten years of military experience and leadership. Sammy is a co-founder of River Newe—an Indigenous owned non-profit that aims to reconnect intergenerational learning on land with tribal youth. He has a PhD with 10 plus years of science and management experience involved in Indigenous sovereignty and treaties with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ Fish and Wildlife department.