Connecting land, community and personal growth
Samuel Metacat-Yah finds balance with environmental science
Samuel Metacat-Yah's life has always revolved around the power of community. From growing up in a tight-knit family to establishing meaningful relationships with professors and peers, he consistently finds ways to take part in events and volunteer his time in each new place his journey takes him. For Metacat-Yah, these diverse aspects of community all exemplify the same important sentiment: support and encouragement.
Nearing the end of his Bachelor of Science — Environmental Science at MRU, Metacat-Yah’s educational path has required stepping into the unknown, embracing change and fully leaning into the power of building community.
Exploring options, picking a path
Finding success in science and math, Metacat-Yah was encouraged to pursue engineering after high school. However, he also felt a strong pull to work with the land. Originally from the Dene Tha' First Nation near High Level, AB, he says, “I know my Indigenous identity has a lot of land connection, so I wanted to combine those elements.”
Ultimately deciding on environmental science for his major, Metacat-Yah recalls his father showing him the reclamation work that was being done at Gateway Hill in Fort McMurray. “My dad would tell me, ‘That mine over there used to be all sand, but now they returned it back to nature.’ Even before I knew a reclamation job was possible, exposure to it drew me in.”
After testing the waters with a six-week position at Syncrude through Careers: The Next Generation, a youth career development program, Metacat-Yah began studying environmental science at Keyano College. At the time, the program was partnered with Mount Royal through distance learning.
“At Iniskim, we all share so much interest in trying to bring each other up, to keep each other afloat. Everyone is so encouraging. It’s like a big support group.”
Making the move to MRU
Two years in, the partnership between Keyano and MRU ended and Metacat-Yah was faced with a daunting ultimatum: to finish his degree, he would have to move away from his family for the first time to study in Calgary. Metacat-Yah says he found solace and encouragement in his Mount Royal classmates, professors and the Iniskim Centre — a place that “felt like a family away from home.”
“At Iniskim, we all share so much interest in trying to bring each other up, to keep each other afloat. Everyone is so encouraging. It’s like a big support group,” he says.
Powered by his strong curiosity and openness to new experiences, Metacat-Yah’s MRU community began to take shape. He participated in Iniskim programs and events, including the Indigenous Housing Program, tipi raisings and the BMO Indigenous Peer Mentorship program, and found his stride in the classroom. “How strong I’m bound to the community that I’m surrounded by in university, that has really helped,” he adds.
Gaining first-hand experience
With one work term left before meeting all the requirements for graduation, Metacat-Yah is back in Fort McMurray for a student wetlands research position with Syncrude. He says it’s been a nice mix of working in the field and in the office.
“It’s a wide range that’s balanced between the two. Some days will be in the office with meetings, other days will be mainly field work and shipping samples. That’s why I chose this kind of job.”
“It’s all about being proactive and maintaining trust. Indigenous communities can benefit from employment opportunities and economic growth while providing knowledge of the land and boundaries in return.”
When it comes to resource development, Metacat-Yah emphasizes how important it is for Indigenous perspectives to be both valued and incorporated, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship. “It’s all about being proactive and maintaining trust. Indigenous communities can benefit from employment opportunities and economic growth while providing knowledge of the land and boundaries in return.”
Ready for whatever comes next
“My professors and peers always say, ‘It's just the beginning of your journey.’ There's going to be more community out there,” Metacat-Yah says, thinking of the future. “It gets me really excited to be more involved with wherever I'm at.”
Metacat-Yah hopes to one day return to school with a focus on Indigenous relations so he can step into a role that combines his environmental knowledge and his experience working with Indigenous communities and Elders.
“I want to be a bridge between the two and use my knowledge to help with that relationship, so Indigenous communities know what’s happening on the sites and how companies are planning to return them to their original conditions,” he explains.
“That would be the dream, to do that every day.”