RECONCILIATION
SPEAKERS BUREAU
KEITH MATTHEW
A proud member of the Simpcw First Nation, has had a diverse career in journalism, corporate roles, and business, including work with BC Hydro and starting his own communications and marketing business. He has played a key role in advancing First Nations fiscal legislation, negotiating major agreements for economic development, and founding Simpcw Resources Ltd and Simpcw Heritage Trust, while also volunteering with various Indigenous organizations and serving as a father to his children.
MY STORY
I am Keith Matthew, a proud member of the Simpcw First Nation, and I have spent most of my life living on my reservation in British Columbia. My career began in the 1980s with a communications media program at Cariboo College, which led me into journalism where I worked for Coyoti Prints, Secwepemc News, Kahtou, and Windspeaker in various roles as a writer, photographer, and editor.
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I later worked at BC Hydro, collaborating with professionals in the Aboriginal Relations Department, and started my own business in communications planning and marketing through the self-employment assistance program in Kamloops. I also played a role in advancing the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, which affirms First Nations' jurisdiction over fiscal powers like property taxation and the ability to borrow from the First Nations Finance Authority.
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After moving back home in the early 2000s, I was elected to chief and council, where I was assigned the economic development portfolio. During my tenure, I helped negotiate significant agreements, including a $7 million heli-skiing lodge, fibre and hydro agreements, and a $600 million deal with Kinder Morgan in 2016. I also helped create Simpcw Resources Ltd as a successor to the Simpcw Development Corporation and the Simpcw Heritage Trust, which continues to support our community’s language, culture, and history.
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Currently, I serve as the President of the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations, Director for the Global Indigenous Trust and TULO Centre of Indigenous Economics, Chair for Simpcw Resources Ltd, and sit on the Advisory Board for the First Nations Infrastructure Institute. I also own or have joint ventures with Seklep Business Services, Skowtum Services, and Skeetch Arrowhead Contracting. Above all, my proudest accomplishments are being a father to my children, Gypsi and Jordan, both of whom are healthy, working individuals.