Honouring Indigenous Innovation: Troy MacBeth Abromaitis and the Heiltsuk Nation at the Amplify Awards

Posted November 25, 2025 in 
Recipients of the Amplify Awards on May 27 were Troy MacBeth Abromaitis (Lytton First Nation) and Heiltsuk Nation.

When technology is guided by Indigenous leadership, it has the power to restore, reconnect, and strengthen communities. That spirit was reflected at the inaugural Amplify Awards, where two remarkable recipients were honoured for their contributions to innovation rooted in culture and community.

Indigenous Technologist Award: Troy MacBeth Abromaitis

Troy MacBeth Abromaitis, of the Lytton First Nation, was recognized with the Indigenous Technologist Award for his visionary leadership in applying technology to community rebuilding and resurgence.
After the 2021 wildfires devastated Lytton, Troy returned home and became a central figure in the Nation’s recovery. Through his work with the Lytton First Nation Economic Development Corporation, he utilized tools such as GIS and LiDAR mapping to re-envision sacred lands, support sustainable planning, and design infrastructure rooted in cultural and community priorities.
With over two decades of experience in governance, strategic planning, and real estate development, Troy has combined technical expertise with cultural restoration. His journey reflects resilience, a sense of belonging, and the strength that comes from coming home to rebuild with purpose.

Innovative Community or Organization Award: Heiltsuk Nation

The Heiltsuk Nation was honoured with the Innovative Community or Organization Award for their groundbreaking work combining ancestral knowledge with emerging technology to protect one of their closest relatives, the sockeye salmon.

Facing declining salmon populations and reduced federal monitoring, the Heiltsuk Nation installed a solar-powered, satellite-connected AI monitoring system at their Koeye River weir. This technology provides real-time salmon counts and species recognition, enabling community-led decision-making rooted in stewardship and self-determination.

In 2023, the Nation confidently harvested and shared sockeye for the first time in years, a profound moment of food sovereignty, cultural renewal, and joy. Their leadership demonstrates how innovation, guided by cultural values, can restore ecosystems and strengthen autonomy.

Celebrating Indigenous-Led Futures

The Amplify Awards were created to honour stories like Troy’s and the Heiltsuk Nation’s, stories that show what becomes possible when Indigenous Peoples shape the future of technology on their own terms. Their work reminds us that innovation is most potent when it uplifts the community, protects what matters, and advances sovereignty.



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The First Nations Technology Council is an Indigenous-led, innovative non-profit mandated by First Nations leadership in British Columbia. We work to advance digital literacy, improve internet connectivity, and provide guidance on data and digital technology for all 204 First Nations across the province. We envision a future where Indigenous Peoples and communities claim our space in the digital age by designing and stewarding technology to renew and strengthen our cultures, lands, languages, and ways of being for future generations.

Located on the traditional and unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xwmeθkweyem (Musqueam) and Selilwetal (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

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