Storyteller, Thought‑Worker, Companion
I’m Matthew Dyck, a writer, storyteller, and companion in the work of reconnection and repair.
Most of what I share now grew out of a long season of fire: workplace harm, identity questions, and mental‑health storms that shook my life to the roots. Writing began as a survival tool and slowly turned into a way of finding my way back to myself, my kids, my cultures, and a more honest way of living, one small story at a time.
I’m also neurodivergent. My brain runs fast, forgets steps, and short‑circuits around forms and numbers. I know firsthand that there is no single right way to learn or heal. My aim is to offer Indigenous‑informed, Métis‑rooted stories and tools in plain, accessible language, things you can actually use on a Tuesday afternoon, whether you are reading, listening, or just catching your breath between appointments.
On my mother’s side, my family comes through the Paquette, LeBlanc, Favel, and Desrochers/Durocher lines, with Cree, Saulteaux/Ojibwe, Métis, Stoney Nakoda, Chickamauga Cherokee, Irish, and English ancestry, and family stories that also point to Blackfoot roots. On my father’s side, my people are Irish and German, including Germans‑in‑Russia and other northern European roots. I did not grow up with easy access to these Indigenous roots. Like many of us, I’ve had to piece my identity together as an adult, tracking down books, calling strangers, asking awkward questions, and listening closely to anyone willing to share. That patchwork journey continues to shape how I work: curious, accountable, and always in conversation with community rather than speaking for it.
I am the creator and producer of First Stories: Tales from Turtle Island, a podcast dedicated to Indigenous stories and voices from across the land. I also developed the MISA Framework and the Open in a Good Way app, practical helpers designed to support people and organizations to slow down, remember their relationships, and open difficult conversations with more intention, respect, and heart.
I have been working with voice since 1989, starting in radio and theatre, then moving into broadcasting after graduating from SAIT’s Radio, Television, and Broadcast News program. Over the years I’ve worked as an on‑air host, writer and producer, promotions manager, and, more recently, as a descriptive audio narrator for film and television.
I have also spent time walking alongside governments, NGOs, and organizations in health and education, focusing on inclusion, cultural safety, and humility. My hope in those spaces is simple: to help make rooms a little safer and more honest for the people who have to walk into them.
I am still very much a learner. Everything I share comes from my own experience, shaped by mentors, Elders, teachers, therapists, and friends who have been willing to sit with hard stories and ask better questions. My work is not a blueprint; it is one man’s field notes that you are welcome to adapt to your own life and teachings.
I believe in the power of story, the strength of community, and the importance of making space for every voice, including the ones that are unsure or shaking. If you are reconnecting, rebuilding, or just curious about a different way of seeing your own mind and life, you are welcome here.