Sammy Matsaw Jr. is the Director of the Columbia Basin Program at The Nature Conservancy, where he works at the intersection of salmon recovery, tribal sovereignty, and large-scale river restoration across one of the most complex watersheds in North America. In this role, Sammy helps guide conservation strategies that span state lines, political boundaries, and cultural histories—while keeping people, relationships, and responsibility at the center of the work.
Sammy grew up on the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation, surrounded by salmon stories, land-based learning, and a deep sense of responsibility to place. He served in the U.S. military, including combat deployments overseas, before returning home to heal, reconnect, and rebuild—eventually earning advanced degrees in ecology, policy, and conservation science. Along the way, he’s navigated life as a soldier, scientist, ceremonial practitioner, husband, father, and now grandfather, carrying Indigenous knowledge forward while engaging directly with Western institutions and systems.
In this conversation, we talk about salmon restoration as a healing journey—not just for rivers, but for communities and cultures shaped by loss, displacement, and change. We dig into Indigenous knowledge alongside Western science, the role of humility and trust in conservation, and why Sammy believes real progress only happens through relationships and long-term commitment. We also explore his vision for the Columbia Basin, his leadership inside TNC, and what it means to show up—day after day—with curiosity, care, and what he calls “barefoot trust-building.”
This is a thoughtful, hopeful, and vulnerable conversation, and I greatly appreciate Sammy taking the time to chat with me. I hope you enjoy.
Photos courtesy of TNC: header © Ben Herndon, inset courtesy of River Newe
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EPISODE PARTNER:
This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.
During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.
To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org
RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 3:00 – Intro, where and how Sammy grew up
- 10:03 – Sammy’s decision to join the military
- 15:34 – Readjusting to home
- 20:48 – What helps heal
- 24:58 – Sammy’s academic journey
- 32:12 – Salmon work
- 39:09 – Entry into TNC
- 43:55 – Salmon restoration as a healing journey
- 50:09 – Layers of the job
- 57:31 – Book recs
- 1:01:18 – Wrapping up
Information Referenced:
- Sammy Matsaw Jr.
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
- Indigenous people in the Vietnam War
- Columbia River Basin program
- River of Return, a film featuring Sammy and his wife, Jessica
- River Newe, Sammy and Jessica’s organization
- Book recs: How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V. F. Cordova, King of Fish, Black Elk Speaks
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- Beatriz Soto – Bridging Cultural Divides & Building Equitable Communities
- Celene Hawkins & Izabella Ruffino – Tribal Partnerships, Indigenous Voices, Cutting-Edge Conservation
- Rebecca Clarren – “The Cost of Free Land”
- Lorelei Cloud – Solving Modern-Day Challenges with Ancient Tribal Wisdom
Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.
