We Matter was started in 2016 by siblings Kelvin and T’áncháy Redvers. Overwhelmed by the number of suicides and other issues Indigenous youth face, they wanted to create a space that connects Indigenous youth across the country and provides support and love through culture and sharing.
Meet our incredible We Matter team of Indigenous young people and aunties/uncles spread across the country:
Inheriting mixed Cree, Metis and German ancestry Nitanis Vandale was born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan with her Indigenous nation being Mistawasis Nêhiyawak. She has been the We Matter Grant Coordinator for over 3 years, worked with the BC government and is the co-founder of North Winds Indigenous Consulting. Nitanis is a vicarious enjoyer of video games, loves to play Dungeons & Dragons with her friends, cares for her ferrets Doctor Frankenstein and The Monster, and spending time with her family.
Aaniin, Alyssa Trick nindizhinikaaz minwa ajiijaak nindoodem. My traditional name is Asinawe-Asimook. I currently reside on the traditional lands of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. I am deaf in my right ear since birth living with Microtia, which is a congenital deformity where my external and inner ear is underdeveloped.
As the Youth and Engagement Lead for We Matter and a certified educator in British Columbia, I have over 9 years of experience in creating and delivering culturally relevant and impactful programs for Indigenous youth and communities.
I hold a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree, and I have multiple certifications in areas such as yoga, mental health aids, and accessibility. Currently, I work with We Matter, a national Indigenous-led organization that supports Indigenous youth through peer-to-peer support, relationship building, youth empowerment, and life promotion. In addition, I co-founded Rooted in Nature, a non-profit organization that focuses on outdoor education.
Youth empowerment is my passion, and I love promoting life through outdoor education and providing accessible movement through trauma-informed care.
Jena Ashley (She/Her) is a Cree and settler mix who began her journey reconnecting to her community throughout highschool and University. Jena is a member of Kashechewan First Nation, born in Moose Factory, ON, and raised in Temiskaming Shores, ON. She is currently occupying the unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory in Ottawa, ON. Jena graduated from the University of Guelph February 2022 with her Bachelor’s of Arts. Jena’s dedication to her roots and cultural identity is evident throughout her life. During her time at University, Jena held several student leadership positions with the Indigenous Student Society, Guelph Central Student Association, and the Circle of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys immersing herself in video games, reading, and beading.
Pietra Banks is a 22-year-old Denesųłiné woman from the K’ai Tailé Dené (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), located within Treaty 8 territory. She currently resides within Treaty 6 & 7 territory. Pietra is pursuing a Bachelor of Education at Red Deer Polytechnic. Deeply committed to Indigenous issues, Pietra has actively collaborated with various organizations to address reconciliation, youth mental health, and Indigenous education. She firmly believes it is never too late to become a changemaker and a positive role model within the community.
Aaniin Boozhoo, Mewinzhaw bimaadizi niini ndizhnikaaz, mkinaak idodem, Gaawaategamaag idonjbaa, Anishinaabe Ojibwe niini indaaw. My English name is Ryerson Whetung. I am Anishinaabe Ojibwe from Curve Lake First Nation. I currently reside on Stoney Lake, located in Treaty 20 Anishinawbek Ojibwe territory. Outside of work, I commit a significant portion of my time to enhancing my understanding of traditional Ojibwe knowledge, teachings, and cultural practices. I am dedicated to sharing my teachings and working towards revitalizing Ojibwe culture, which has been significantly impacted due to colonization within my communities territory. I can often be found sharing my passion for traditional, seasonal Anishinaabe living with communities throughout the Great Lakes region. I am a hunter, gatherer, spear fisherman, artist, powwow dancer/singer and fierce advocate for treaty rights. Miigwetch.
Kinship: Cousins honouring the collective of We Matter
Jenny Lay is a First Nations woman from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation who uses her valuable life experiences as a tool to empower others and to create change on various levels. She has served on various boards and has presented nationally and internationally, and is passionate about topics relating to Indigenous youth mental health, violence against Indigenous women and girls, Canada’s youth social protection systems, and Indigenous people with disabilities. As an intergenerational Residential School Survivor and an impacted MMIWG2S+ family member, she has used her voice and expertise to make change for children left behind by violence and to guide her in her previous work with families of MMIWG2S+ and survivors of gender-based violence. Jenny has an educational background in psychology and mental health, event coordination, project management, and graphic design. She currently works with We Matter, an Indigenous youth organization, and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology part time.
Jordon Davis is multi-disciplinary visual arts and member of the Dene Tha’ First Nation in Alberta. With a year of design studies at MacEwan University and a self-directed study of traditional Indigenous beadwork and film, Jordon’s arts practice is expansive and deeply personal. In her work, she is passionate about weaving contemporary expression with traditional style. A testament to her creativity and skill – Jordon was selected to complete a beadwork residency at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon. In her film work, Jordon received the distinguished best video award at the Powell River Film fest for her submission “Resisting by Existing” (2022). She is passionate about working with the community as a part of various organizations.
Board of Directors
Leadership Council
Kelvin Redvers is an award-winning filmmaker, and member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation in NWT. He’s had years of success creating films, documentaries, and TV. He won several journalism awards while producing and directing on the Indigenous current affairs show CTV First Story. He co-created the big budget doc series High Arctic Haulers, which aired on CBC Primetime in 2020. He wrote and directed the feature film Cold Road in partnership with Crave, and runs a production company, IndigiFilm Media.
He also co-created the national Indigenous non-profit We Matter, along with his sibling T’áncháy – which uses video and social media to support youth mental health – for which they were both awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, one of the highest civilian honors for Canadians. He believes strongly in building on Indigenous strength, and improving the perception of Indigenous folks in culture and media.
T’áncháy is a mixed Dene & Métis neurodivergent 2spirit writer, creator, speaker and multidisciplinary performer belonging to Deninu K’ue First Nation in Treaty 8 territory. With a Master of Indigenous Social Work and background in international and community development, youth empowerment, mental health advocacy, and creative facilitation, they have been nationally and internationally recognized for their work and advocacy. At the age of 21, T’áncháy and their brother, Kelvin, founded We Matter – a national Indigenous-led campaign and non-profit dedicated to Indigenous youth hope and life promotion. We Matter has become an international model for Indigenous youth life promotion efforts, garnering the Redvers siblings the Lawson Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Award and a Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal.
Matthew is a Wiisaakodewinini person from Waawiiye’adinong-ziibing currently residing in Animikii-wiikwedong. He is a certified teacher currently pursuing higher level studies. Matthew is a singer and language learner who is passionate about empowering Indigenous youth. He has been a part of the We Matter family in different capacities since 2018.
Shirley Jensen is a member of Misipawistik Cree Nation in central Manitoba. Her father is Ojibway from Pays Plat in Ontario. She resides in Winnipeg and is a Financial Policy Analyst for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in the Education Secretariat. Shirley is a 13 year Board member of the only Indigenous Credit Union in Canada, of which she just completed a 3 year term as the President. It has been her life-long aspiration to help First Nation people advance in all aspects of life. Shirley is a mother of three and a grandmother of three. Teaching them the value of holistic learning and healing through our traditional ways is the most important job for her. Shirley makes star blankets, ribbon skirts and quilts in her spare time and loves spending time with family and friends.
Guiding Council
Alexia is a 2 Spirit Mi’kmaw woman who lives on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory (colonially, Ottawa). She is a helper, organizer, advocate and proud Auntie. Alexia works in community care and culture reclamation, Indigenizing spaces of engagement for young leaders. Alexia works at creating culturally safe and relevant spaces to facilitate conversations on youth mental health, including conversations on climate crisis as well as systemic barriers and racism that Indigenous youth face. Growing up, Alexia experienced a lack of education and community programs for youth to reclaim culture, so she aims to resolve some of these needs in her work. Alexia has a rich level of experience, with a BA in Developmental Psych and Minor in Disability Studies, an MA in Counselling, and two grad certs in autism and behavioural science, and addictions and mental health. She’s worked in the early childhood education realm, directly in youth care and community programming, and on a national level designing mental health programming. Alexia is always looking to bring people together in a good way, through the use of teachings and created community kinship. In her spare time she is a land advocate, founding and running programs under Letters to the Land which aims to support Indigenous, Black and racialized youth in connecting to the land in that good way. As she often works in spaces of trauma, sadness, grief, and hard-hitting advocacy, her work in connecting to the land in an art based way is rooted in healing, joy and community wellness.
Logan Beauchamp is Two-Spirit Métis, a proud member of the Metis Nation of Alberta and a committed advocate for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth across Turtle Island. Logan works for The Women of the Metis Nation as their 2SLGBTQQIA+ Project Researcher, and is currently leading a national research project that examines the experiences of Gender Based Violence among the Métis 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. They were an Ambassador of Hope with We Matter, through which they planned and organized conferences for Indigenous Youth in Central Alberta. Logan now has transitioned out of the National Ambassador of Hope program to sit on We Matter’s board of directors. Logan is a proud father, amateur chef and fiddle player, and is a passionate advocate for Indigenous Youth and 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities.
Regan Ratt-Misponas is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and grew up in Pinehouse, located in Northern Saskatchewan. He attends the University of Saskatchewan, enrolled in the Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP), where he plans to obtain his B.Ed. Growing up in the north, Regan was often involved in community leadership and served as Junior Mayor of Pinehouse at 12. This instilled an interest in political involvement.
Earlier in his studies at the U of S, Regan was elected president of the Indigenous Students’ Council (ISC), serving from 2017-2019. He was then elected as president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU), being the fifth Indigenous person to serve in the role throughout the 110+ year history of the organization. His term ended April 30, 2020. Since this experience, Regan has been involved on a number of boards for organizations including the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan. Despite colonization, Regan is a proud Nēhiyāw man living in Treaty 6 Territory and Métis Homeland today. When not doing occupational work, community work, or spending time with the rest of the Ratt-Misponas clan in Pinehouse, Regan also dances the Red River Jig and Métis Square Dancing with the Creeland Dancers.
Partners
The work of We Matter wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing support of the following organizations who believe in a world where indigenous youth have the resources to overcome hardship and struggles with mental health and suicide.
Our model of sharing messages of hope and resilience is based on the It Gets Better Project, an initiative started in the U.S. to share videos of hope and positivity with LGBTQ youth who may be contemplating suicide.
National Partners
Organizational Partners
Service Partners
