Our Team
Rooted in community, collaboration, trust, and empowerment.
Taylor Dumais
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Taylor Dumais (she/her) is a Nêhiyaw-Iskwew (Cree Woman) from Kehewin Cree Nation in Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to Indigenous identity, cultural revitalization, and community well-being, guided by the belief that Indigenous knowledge and ways of being belong in every space—from classrooms and boardrooms to community gatherings and ceremony.
Drawing from lived experience as a community member, youth advocate, cultural worker, and facilitator, Taylor brings an authentic and relationship-centered approach to her work. She is passionate about creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and connected to culture, community, and purpose.
Throughout her career, Taylor has held leadership roles that support healing, education, and Indigenous engagement. At Sacred Turtle Woman Healing Centre, she served as both Cultural Director and President, helping guide initiatives focused on healing, cultural renewal, and community wellness. She later worked as an Indigenous Engagement Coordinator with TELUS Spark Science Centre, building meaningful relationships between Indigenous communities and educational institutions.
Taylor studied Event Management at Mount Royal University, bringing strong skills in facilitation, coordination, and program development to her work. She believes that thoughtful planning and cultural safety go hand in hand, creating environments where participants feel supported, engaged, and empowered to learn, heal, and grow.
Today, Taylor continues to support communities through cultural programming, facilitation, community engagement, and consulting, helping create experiences that are rooted in relationship, guided by culture, and focused on meaningful impact.
Preston Huppie: BEd; MEd
Co-Facilitator/Co-Creator
Preston Huppie is a Cree/Métis educator from amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta), located within Treaty 6 Territory, with ancestral roots tracing back to the Red River. With more than 18 years of experience in education, Preston has dedicated his career to advancing Indigenous education, student success, and culturally responsive learning environments.
He holds a Bachelor of Education (2005) and a Master of Indigenous Peoples Education (2013), bringing together strong academic credentials and extensive practical experience. Throughout his career, he has served as a classroom teacher, learning lead, administrator, strategist, and consultant, supporting learners, educators, and organizations in meaningful and transformative ways.
Preston spent ten years teaching in Kehewin Cree Nation, where he developed a deep commitment to community-centered education and Indigenous ways of knowing. He later joined the Calgary Board of Education, where he worked from 2017 to 2024 in various leadership and educational roles focused on Indigenous learning and student achievement.
Today, Preston serves as an Indigenous Education Consultant with Edmonton Catholic Schools Division (ECSD), where he continues to champion Indigenous perspectives, strengthen educational practices, and support pathways for student success grounded in culture, identity, and belonging.
Samantha Mather
Co-Facilitator/Co-Creator
Samantha Mather (she/her) is a peer support professional, facilitator, and community advocate whose work is rooted in lived experience, recovery, and the belief that healing happens through connection, purpose, and hope.
Her path to this work was shaped by her own journey through addiction, recovery, and personal transformation. Rather than approaching wellness from theory alone, Samantha brings firsthand understanding of the challenges people face when rebuilding their lives and creating meaningful change. This lived experience allows her to connect with others in a way that is authentic, compassionate, and grounded in possibility.
Through her work in peer support, mental health, substance use recovery, and community engagement, Samantha has supported individuals from diverse backgrounds as they navigate barriers, strengthen resilience, and reconnect with their strengths. She is passionate about creating welcoming spaces where people feel heard, respected, and empowered to take the next step in their journey.
As a collaborator with Moonlit Horizons Consulting, Samantha co-developed Roots to Wings, a culturally grounded program that supports participants in exploring identity, healing, personal growth, and leadership. Her work reflects a commitment to walking alongside others as they rediscover their potential and build lives rooted in purpose, connection, and self-determination.
Martin Larson
Strategic Advisor
Martin Larson is a strategic advisor known for operating at the intersection of opportunity, complexity, and execution. With a background spanning energy, agriculture, trading, and emerging sectors, he has built a reputation for quietly shaping ventures from the inside.
Based in Alberta, Martin brings a disciplined yet unconventional approach to growth. His work is less about theory and more about movement—identifying leverage points, aligning key elements, and advancing outcomes with precision. A specialist in human asset management, Martin is known for navigating complex and sensitive environments, working across private enterprise, government, and First Nations organizations. He has a consistent ability to align interests where none appear to exist, building pathways forward in situations that require both discretion and resolve.
His reach extends beyond domestic markets, supported by an evolving international network cultivated through long-standing relationships. With a natural gift for developing and activating networks, he connects people, capital, and strategy in ways that tend to accelerate outcomes—often behind the scenes.
Those who work with Martin understand that much of his value lies in what is not immediately visible. He identifies inefficiencies others accept, sees structure where there is disorder, and creates momentum where progress has stalled. He is most effective in moments of transition, pressure, or uncertainty—when clear thinking, steady leadership, and decisive action matter most. His role is rarely to be the loudest voice in the room, but often to be the one that changes its direction.
Connie West-Buck & Wilfred Buck
Elder Advisors
Connie and Wilfred Buck are respected knowledge keepers, educators, and ceremony leaders whose work has influenced Indigenous education, cultural revitalization, and community healing across Canada and beyond.
Together, they have dedicated decades to preserving and sharing Indigenous knowledge, supporting the integration of traditional teachings within schools, organizations, and communities. For more than 16 years, they have carried the Two Suns Prayer Sundance Lodge, holding ceremonies throughout Manitoba and Ontario and creating spaces for healing, learning, and cultural connection.
Wilfred Buck is a renowned Ininiw (Cree) astronomer, author, educator, and member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Known to many as "The Star Guy," he has spent more than 25 years gathering and preserving Indigenous star knowledge, mapping Cree constellations, and sharing traditional cosmological teachings. His work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, inspiring audiences nationally and internationally.
Connie West-Buck is an educator, mentor, and ceremony leader whose work focuses on Indigenous education, cultural continuity, and family healing. Through her leadership and community involvement, she has helped create meaningful opportunities for Indigenous youth and families to reconnect with culture, identity, and traditional ways of knowing.
In 2023, Connie and Wilfred welcomed Taylor into their family. Since that time, they have become important mentors and guides in her cultural learning, ceremonial life, and personal growth, helping to shape the values and teachings that continue to inform her work today.