Matt Simmons is an award-winning journalist and photographer who lives and works, with gratitude and respect, on Wet’suwet’en lands in northwest British Columbia. (That’s about 1,200 km / 750 miles north of Vancouver.)
His work on climate, environment and Indigenous Rights has been published nationally and internationally.
When shortlisted for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s 2025 award for Climate Solutions Reporting, the jury said Matt’s writing reflected “depth and accuracy through firsthand reporting, grounded in relationships with Gitanyow Elders and careful attention to language and protocol. The piece is particularly strong in its immersive storytelling and ethical approach to covering Indigenous climate leadership.”
He has been recognized by Amnesty International for his reporting on Wet’suwet’en land defence and by the National Newspaper Awards, alongside Cara McKenna and Marty Clemens, for a story about the return of a stolen totem pole to the Nisg̱a’a Nation.
Matt is an accredited trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network, through which he has supported dozens of journalists and editors in approaching stories with a reporting focus on solutions to systemic problems. He has shared insights on reporting in Indigenous communities with student and early-career journalists, as both mentor and guest lecturer.