Meet 6 Indigenous STEM trailblazers making a difference in their communities

Edmonton AM is celebrating Indigenous trailblazers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for National Indigenous History Month.

Covering a wide range of fields from wetlands to robots, these innovators are leading the way in their communities. 

Logan Arcilla

An Edmonton educator is inspiring Indigenous youth to pursue careers in STEM through robots. 

Logan Arcilla, who is from Alexis First Nation, works as project manager for Tech and Robotics at IndigeSTEAM. 

IndigeSTEAM is a non-profit that connects Indigenous youth to STEM and arts programming. 

"I love the aspect of providing opportunities and that's what it does," Arcilla said. "We had this science and tech thing that just went under the radar for years." 

Arcilla combines his passion for robotics with his love for teaching. He said his students get excited every time they see him bring in his robots. 

He said, he tells them "you can build it, you can code it, you can drive it."

"They really love the driving thing."

A third-generation teacher, Arcilla holds robotics camps in Calgary but is hoping to expand to Edmonton. 

"It always stems back to opportunities, new things to do. And just new pathways of creation and science and tech," he said. 

Ella Nelson

An environmental science and native studies student at the University of Alberta is helping reclaim wetlands. 

Growing up in Fort McMurray, third-year student Ella Nelson is working as a wetlands reclamation research student. 

Her focus is to make sure the wetlands are coming back as naturally as possible.

"I also get to take Indigenous community members on tours around these wetlands to get feedback and see what they think," she said. 

Nelson is using her knowledge of Indigenous practices and environmental science to help address environmental concerns. 

"You need to use traditional knowledge because these Indigenous communities are traditional land users and they know the land the best," she said. 

Nelson said she has always had a positive perspective when it came to oil sands. 

"Everyone I knew worked at the oilsands," she said. "And having the chance to work at the oilsands myself, I'm able to see all the positive things that come out of it."

She is also passionate about clean water and hopes to find a way to implement clean water onto Indigenous reserves all over Canada. 

Nelson was recently selected for the Elsie Yanik Memorial Scholarship. 

Chelsea Benally and James Tatum

Indigenous and Black scholars are underrepresented in STEM fields, but a scholarship project at the University of Alberta is hoping to change that. 

Chelsea Benally is a researcher and assistant professor at the U of A, and is part of the Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) project. 

"I would just hope that all the Indigenous youth will, I guess, follow their dreams – whether it's being an engineer, a scientist, or a writer," Benally said. 

James Tatum, a Cree Métis PhD student in chemical engineering, said he wanted to be involved in the project because it was a good opportunity for Indigenous and Black students. 

He said Benally was his first choice for a mentor.

"I didn't really see very many Indigenous people in engineering," Tatum said. "I think it's just tough if you don't have any role models."

Benally said she didn't realize how underrepresented the communities were until she herself graduated from the program in 2018. 

She was the first Indigenous woman to earn her PhD in engineering at the U of A. 

"I didn't realize that there were less Indigenous people. I didn't realize to what extent until I actually got here," she said. 

That was all the prompting she needed to sign up as a mentor for others in the community. 

The IBET project provides students with financial support and academic mentoring. It started as a partnership between Ontario faculties of engineering, but has since expanded to include 16 more institutions. 

Darcy Hunt

Darcy Hunt is bringing innovative drone training and services to residents of Alexander First Nation in Alberta.

Hunt said the goal of his company is to keep Indigenous communities up to date with the technology. 

"We're known as keepers of the land, so we should be known as keepers of the data," he said. 

Drones can be used to map out the land, Hunt said. 

Hunt said there is potential for Indigenous communities to become leaders in the drone industry.

"I'm excited about going out to Indigenous communities and getting them on board," he said. 

Steve Saddleback

An Alberta man is working with a large group of First Nations communities on sustainable energy development. 

Steve Saddleback, who is a member of the Samson Cree Nation of Maskwacis, is director of the National Energy Business Centre of Excellence and an energy futures lab fellow. 

He said he has noticed more and more companies involving First Nations communities in their decision-making processes, and play a larger role in conversations about the environment. 

"It's really based upon the traditional and the foundations of a relationship of reciprocity with our environment that the Indigenous ways of being are," he said. "And looking at living in balance with the environment. "

It's about bringing the traditional ways of living with the environment, and understanding what impacts we are able to make and to do so in a sustainable manner, he said. 

Saddleback said it is encouraging to see more community members on boards and in other leadership positions. 

"Take that knowledge that we've learned from our elders and continue that evolution of it to not only sustain the environment but to continue to grow that economic portion of it," he said.