Dr. Melissa Arcand is a soil scientist from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, where she grew up on a grain farm. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on soil health, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, collaborating with First Nations to assess soils on agricultural lands.

In the Bridge project, Dr. Arcand wears many hats. As one of the Research Co-leads, she drives the research forward and facilitates communication between partners, including academic, non-academic, First Nation, and NGO partners. She ensures that the science behind the research is understood and that cultural nuances are respected.

Dr. Arcand and her team collaborate extensively with First Nations and Indigenous organizations on land management, agricultural initiatives, and buffalo projects. Beyond her research and service work, she teaches and advises students in the Kanawayihetaytan Askiy (“Let us take care of the land” in Plains Cree) Indigenous land and resource management certificate program. She also serves as the Academic Lead for the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.