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Megan Samms (they/she) is L’nu and Nlha7kápmx, a visual and multidisciplinary artist,Indigenous agriculturalist, beekeeper, and community worker; their creative practice is integrated with territory/ies, agricultural and community work, and art inquiries and processes. Samms makes her life in her home community, in one of their two Ancestral land bases: Katalisk, Ktaqmkuk, Mi’kma’ki, Wabanaki Territory (colonially: Codroy Valley, newfoundland, canada).Samms was born and raised in Katalisk where her paternal, L’nu relations are from and continue to be. Samms’ maternal ancestry and relations are Nlha7kápmx and come from ltKumcheen (Lytton). Samms has spent significant time living across Turtle Island and continues to visit and travel. Samms is also a descendant of Italy, France, Wales, and Scandinavia without lived experience or cultural connection to Europe. Samms has been an occasional visitor to Scandinavian, North Atlantic territories where she is in relation through marine boreal bio-regionality.
Drawing from varied practices, Samms works with various mediums and disciplines to articulate story, messages, and continual dialogue with(in) historic and contemporary placebased contexts. Samms is known for weaving and natural dye work, and uses performance interventions and photo to remember and triangulate entangled presence and relationship with place and time; through this, contributing to narratives, and re-narrativization/remembering, of her territory(ies). Samms is a frequent collaborator and an emerging Ancestral Skin Marker; her mentors are Dion Kaszas, Jerry Evans, and Keith Callihoo. Samms’ considers weaving and skin marking to be two of the most important acts of presencing in her practice.
Samms shares work in non conventional or non institutional art spaces like abandoned buildings, Land, or community spaces; in solo and group exhibitions at Artist Run Centres, as well as larger institutions, regional galleries, and at various festivals. Samms is an incoming participating artist in La Biennale d’art contemporain autochone (BACA) in 02026; she was an Anchor Artist at Nocturne Festival in Kjipuktuk in 02025; and was a participating artist in the Bonavista Biennale in 02023 and 02025. In 02025 Samms administered the Second Wave Ancestral Marking Group Mentorship with mentor, Dion Kaszas; was a Leighton Independent Artist in Residence (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), a TC2 Weaver in Residence (Centre for Research and Innovation and in private studio); and was long listed for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery). In 02024, Samms was honoured with the Theodore Prize from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, Wabanakik; in the same year was nominated for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery), and for various awards from VANL-CARFAC and was shortlisted for the Craftsperson of the Year. Samms’ work has been shared in a variety of artful and peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Creative Cartography from the University of Arizona, Native Land Digital, Riddlefence Magazine, and Beside Magazine. Samms has received generous attention from media like Muskrat Magazine, CBC, Visual Arts News, and the Globe & Mail. Samms is the chair of the board of Union House Arts in Port Union, Ktaqmkuk and incoming faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Indigenous Leadership: Calling Our Spirits Home. Her (forever continued) education is Land, peer-to-peer, and mentorship based.
