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Indigenous peoples around the world are being oppressed by governments, resources extraction companies, lack of clean water, loss of their lands and more.
A moving statement from the OppositionJune 7, 2021
On Monday, MLA Adam Olsen made a moving statement to the house about the remains of the 215 children found at the Kamloops residential school. “Olsen stood and delivered what will likely go down as one of the most powerful speeches ever seen in the B.C. legislature,” wrote journalist Rob.
Kamloops residential schoolsMay 31, 2021 - Leadnow Team
On Thursday, Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirmed that the bodies of 215 Indigenous children were discovered in an unmarked mass grave at a former Kamloops, BC residential school. [1] That's 215 children stolen from their families and communities — never to return. The atrocities and violence these children were subject to are unthinkable — but they're not unknown. According to the Anishinabek Overview of the Indian Residential School System, the Canadian government operated 139 residential schools from the 1870s to 1996 when the last residential school closed in Saskatchewan. [2] It is estimated that "150,000 Indian, Inuit, and Métis children were forced to attend these schools." [3] This does not include residential schools operated by religious institutions or provincial governments. Architects of the residential school system explicitly stated the purpose of residential schools was to forcibly assimilate Indigenous peoples to eliminate the knowledge of Indigenous cultures, histories and traditions. READ MORE - TAKE ACTION We Matter April NewsletterSee April 25, 2021 - We Matter
Urban Indigenous Forum II:
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July 8, 2020
Visit their Instagram page http://instagram.com/wematterorg and tune in July 9th for the next Instagram Live
The Two Spirit Dictionary Has Launched! For the FIRST TIME EVER, We Matter has resources for KIDS 11 and under! Meet 2 Ambassadors of hope, Scott and Tagalic! DOWNLOAD THE NEWSLETTER |
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Tara MacLean and SHiFT FROM THA 902: Beneath the Path of Crows.
Tara MacLean in a stunning performance of her song Beneath the Path of Crows, featuring SHiFT FROM THA 902.
From THE EAST COAST MUSIC HOUR'S last public presentation on March 10th: The SURRENDER edition of the Story and the Song.
From THE EAST COAST MUSIC HOUR'S last public presentation on March 10th: The SURRENDER edition of the Story and the Song.
Written by Tara MacLean/ Daniel Howlett/Dennis Ellsworth/Hubert Francis/Gilbert Alex Sark/ Senator Brian Francis and special guest Todd Googoo.
We Matter Campaign
February 23, 2020
Indigenous people - Our identity is our land
August 21, 2019 - GCCM
Our identity is our land. #Indigenous people play such a key role in protecting the planet we all depend on for survival from exploitation.
We Matter - Self Care |
August 3, 2019
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We are halfway through summer, and some of us are feeling the heat. Summer is the time to do the things we may neglect doing during the rest of the year, like getting out in nature, spending time with family or even just some good fun! We are nearing the end of summer, so while we still find time to do the things we enjoy some of us may feel that nagging calling from our responsibilities.
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It’s important to take time to reflect during this transition, so that we are ready to face whatever comes our way. It’s a good time to write in a journal, create a list of goals, come up with a self-care plan, or anything that will help you feel ready for whatever life throws your way.
We Matter Toolkits have a Self-Care Plan to help you begin creating yours.
Email info@wemattercampaign.org to inquire about our Toolkits for educators, support workers and youth, and be sure to have the youth you work with complete the self-care plan. READ MORE
We Matter Toolkits have a Self-Care Plan to help you begin creating yours.
Email info@wemattercampaign.org to inquire about our Toolkits for educators, support workers and youth, and be sure to have the youth you work with complete the self-care plan. READ MORE
Women, children lead Attawapiskat march calling for permanent water fix
July 24, 2019 - CBC
Carrying hand-drawn signs declaring, "Our Kids Matter, Water is Life" and, "Our People are Dying Slowly," dozens of Attawapiskat residents marched through their community Tuesday to press for an end to the Ontario First Nation's long-standing water problems.
About 50 marchers, mostly women and children, stopped at the band office and confronted Attawapiskat Chief Ignace Gull, handing him a letter and, speaking in Cree, demanding a permanent water fix.
Carrying hand-drawn signs declaring, "Our Kids Matter, Water is Life" and, "Our People are Dying Slowly," dozens of Attawapiskat residents marched through their community Tuesday to press for an end to the Ontario First Nation's long-standing water problems.
About 50 marchers, mostly women and children, stopped at the band office and confronted Attawapiskat Chief Ignace Gull, handing him a letter and, speaking in Cree, demanding a permanent water fix.
Ida Linklater, a mother of four, said she wants action on Attawapiskat's long-standing water problems. (Gwen Gray/CBC News)
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Attawapiskat residents in the community of about 2,000 people have been told to:
Learn more at CBC |
Rayanna Seymore - encourages, you matter!
July 15, 2019 - We Matter
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This can be a time for exploring and adventures, with many of our year’s responsibilities wrapping up. It is a playful time, but we sometimes struggle to take the rest we need.
While this new freedom can be a time to do more, it’s important to remember to take moments to ourselves and |
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reflect on our own lives. It’s okay to take care of yourself first, do the things you love most, and celebrate your year’s successes. If you have stories about your challenges, accomplishments, or things you’ve learned, we want to hear them. Go to: WE MATTER
Beyond the National Inquiry: The need for concrete action to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people in Canada
July 8, 2019 - Amnesty International
Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people in Canada experience staggeringly high levels of violence, and for decades, government failed to acknowledge and address this human rights crisis. Indigenous women’s organizations, grassroots activists, violence survivors, and the families and loved ones of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people long called for a national inquiry to compel government to investigate and take urgent action to end the violence. Amnesty International advocated alongside Indigenous partners in calling for a national inquiry....
...What can you do now?The Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice make strong recommendations to government, police, and institutions like the media and healthcare sectors to take urgent action. They also include specific Calls for Justice to all people in Canada.
....READ MORE and read the eight Calls for Justice for every person in Canada
Pick at least one for you, your fraternity or your group to do. (Download a pdf handout)
...What can you do now?The Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice make strong recommendations to government, police, and institutions like the media and healthcare sectors to take urgent action. They also include specific Calls for Justice to all people in Canada.
....READ MORE and read the eight Calls for Justice for every person in Canada
Pick at least one for you, your fraternity or your group to do. (Download a pdf handout)
Cree-Anishinaabe doctor 'optimistic' about plan to combat anti-Indigenous racism
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June 20, 2019 - CBC
Dr. Marcia Anderson says the racism she experienced in med school was 'repeated and regular and serious' CBC Radio · Posted: May 24, 2019 6:04 PM ET | Last Updated: May 24 Dr. Anderson spoke to As It Happens host Carol Off about her own experiences with racism in the health system and why she is optimistic about the initiative. |
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'Deep grief, and outrage': Family of Colten Boushie shares frustration at justice system in new film
Family of Indigenous man shot and killed in 2016 'don't feel like we've been heard'
Indigenous youth, Colton Boushie, was shot by a farmer who believed Coulton was there to steal from the farmer. In truth Coulton had a flat tire. "Boushie, 22, and four other young people from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation reserve drove onto Stanley's rural Saskatchewan property in an SUV on Aug. 9, 2016. An altercation occurred between them, Stanley, his son and his wife, resulting in Boushie being shot." As a younger fellow Coulton was quoted as having said, "The world would get along if everybody just got a good book and just go sit under a tree." A film about this story has just been released.
Link to the CBC podcast here which puts a spotlight on this Canadian justice issue that continues to be ignored by the governments, the judicial system and the people, meaning "us".
See the movie trailer below.
Link to the CBC podcast here which puts a spotlight on this Canadian justice issue that continues to be ignored by the governments, the judicial system and the people, meaning "us".
See the movie trailer below.
Create a self-care plan
May 1, 2019 - We Matter
In this We Matter Toolkit Video, Tunchai and Kelvin talk about how important it is to take care of ourselves - and they also talk about the Youth Toolkit, and how youth can use it for their own support! See the
WE MATTER - April Newsletter
April 8, 2019 - Download the Newsletter
Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada
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February 28, 2019 - Change.org
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Message to Trudeau:
All of the undersigned, stand together with the members of Cassidy's family. We ask that Cassidy's birthday, January 28, be named our official day of mourning and action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. We respectfully submit that it should have two goals that go hand in hand like the two parts of a heartbeat - first raising awareness of those who are lost and whose deaths were not solved and whose families still wait for justice, and second pledging to value all lives so that we can move forward, confidently knowing no women feel less protected in our country. SIGN THE PETITION |
Kanaka Bar: Harnessing the power of community
February 12, 2019 - David Suzuki Foundation
“Our ancestors lived in harmony with the land for over 8,000 years,” he says. “There were some basic principles: take what you need, no more. If you’re going to do something, do it right. If you take it in, take it out. And when you’re done, clean up after yourself.”
One of the ways Kanaka Bar (Indian Band) can honour those principles is to return to greater self-sufficiency and sustainability, in energy as well as food.
“My mandate as chief of this community, of what we call Kanaka Bar today, is that there is the same — or if not more — opportunity for my future generations,” he says. READ MORE
One of the ways Kanaka Bar (Indian Band) can honour those principles is to return to greater self-sufficiency and sustainability, in energy as well as food.
“My mandate as chief of this community, of what we call Kanaka Bar today, is that there is the same — or if not more — opportunity for my future generations,” he says. READ MORE
Living without safe and reliable drinking water on First Nations
January 9, 2019 - CBC National
We in the southern part of Canada never think of having to live without running water. Our people living in the Canadian north have been living without clean water for years. The challenges they face to get safe and reliable drinking water remains a daily reality for thousands living on reserves in Canada. We in the south cannot remain silent. Call or write your member of parliament.
Pope Francis states in Laudato Si': "30....access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights....Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity."
Pope Francis states in Laudato Si': "30....access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights....Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity."
While Nestlé extracts millions of litres from their land, residents have no drinking water
November 25, 2018 - The Guardian
Iokarenhtha Thomas, a mother of five. ‘That’s just the reality of living on reserve,’ she said of the lack of water. ‘You grow up being treated unfairly.’ Photograph: Jennifer Roberts for the Guardian
Just 90 minutes from Toronto, residents of a First Nations community try to improve the water situation as the beverage company extracts from their land
The mysterious rash on the arm of six-year-old Theron wouldn’t heal. For almost a year, his mother, Iokarenhtha Thomas, who lives in the Six Nations of the Grand River indigenous reserve in Ontario, went to the local doctor for lotions for the boy. It worked, for a time. But the itchy red rash always returned. Thomas came to suspect the culprit behind the rash: water – or, rather, the lack of it... ....Thomas, a university student and mother of five, has lived without running tap water since the age of 16. Her children lack access to things commonplace elsewhere, like toilets, showers and baths. For washing and toilet usage, they use a bucket....
....This legal ambiguity has allowed Nestlé to move in and extract precious water on expired permits for next to nothing. Nestlé pays the province of Ontario $503.71 (US$390.38) per million litres. But they pay the Six Nations nothing....
....Martin-Hill believes that the exorbitant suicide rate among First Nations youth – five to seven times that of other Canadians, according to the federal government – is directly related to the lack of drinkable water. For a Six Nations person, water is sacred and a symbol of life. But the lack also has metaphorical significance, as it becomes representative of the myriad ways that indigenous Canadians are treated as second-class citizens....“There’s a strong element of depression, sadness and hopelessness because it’s been going on for so long. Young people don’t see a future.” READ THE FULL STORY
Just 90 minutes from Toronto, residents of a First Nations community try to improve the water situation as the beverage company extracts from their land
The mysterious rash on the arm of six-year-old Theron wouldn’t heal. For almost a year, his mother, Iokarenhtha Thomas, who lives in the Six Nations of the Grand River indigenous reserve in Ontario, went to the local doctor for lotions for the boy. It worked, for a time. But the itchy red rash always returned. Thomas came to suspect the culprit behind the rash: water – or, rather, the lack of it... ....Thomas, a university student and mother of five, has lived without running tap water since the age of 16. Her children lack access to things commonplace elsewhere, like toilets, showers and baths. For washing and toilet usage, they use a bucket....
....This legal ambiguity has allowed Nestlé to move in and extract precious water on expired permits for next to nothing. Nestlé pays the province of Ontario $503.71 (US$390.38) per million litres. But they pay the Six Nations nothing....
....Martin-Hill believes that the exorbitant suicide rate among First Nations youth – five to seven times that of other Canadians, according to the federal government – is directly related to the lack of drinkable water. For a Six Nations person, water is sacred and a symbol of life. But the lack also has metaphorical significance, as it becomes representative of the myriad ways that indigenous Canadians are treated as second-class citizens....“There’s a strong element of depression, sadness and hopelessness because it’s been going on for so long. Young people don’t see a future.” READ THE FULL STORY
Consider boycotting Nestles - Here is a list of their brands
Suicide shouldn't be 'normal' in Indigenous communities, says Massey lecturer Tanya Talaga
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November 12, 2018 - CBC - The Current
Photo - The Star
For the 2018 Massey Lectures, Indigenous journalist Tanya Talaga examined the devastating problem of youth suicide in Indigenous communities. She spoke to Anna Maria Tremonti about what she found. Talaga quotes, "Canada is the only G8 country that does not have a national suicide prevention strategy." We need to speak up for the our Indigenous people.
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It's ok to reach out
November 1, 2018 - We Matter
Take the #HopePact
October 2, 2018 - We Matter
Indigenous youth across the nation are choosing to take the We Matter #HopePact, that serves as a reminder that you are never alone in what you are feeling or experiencing.
Indigenous youth across the nation are choosing to take the We Matter #HopePact, that serves as a reminder that you are never alone in what you are feeling or experiencing.
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All of us have experiences that, at times, made life feel hopeless. Together, by sharing our stories, we can support Indigenous youth who may be struggling. If you have teachings, inspiration, quotes or a story that helps you get through hard times, we want YOU to submit your story. Read more at......
October We Matter Newsletter |
“Jordan’s message reminds us that not everyone can recognize we’re struggling that it’s important for us to open up and share our stories and be receptive to hearing others so we can share tools to help one another cope.”
-Frances Moore, We Matter Operations & National Outreach Manager
-Frances Moore, We Matter Operations & National Outreach Manager
We Matter - Ontario Support Network
The Ontario Support Network (OSN) is an exciting new project that hopes to build deeper partnerships between We Matter and a select number of Northern Ontario communities and deeper relationships between youth and their supports across communities. We Matter is looking for 6 community partners across Northern Ontario who are interested in bringing discussions of mental health and life promotion, and hope, culture, and strength into their schools and communities.
30 Traditional Crops to Celebrate Indigenous Farming
August 8. 2018 - Foodtank
Food Tank is highlighting 30 historically and agriculturally significant fruits, vegetables, and grains from regions across the globe.
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This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, August 9, is an opportunity to celebrate the ecological and cultural value of indigenous foodways. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared the day to encourage the world to protect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples. Celebrating their cultures means preserving their time-tested farming practices, agricultural knowledge, and traditional crops that can help address global climate change and food insecurity.
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Of the roughly 250,000 plant species known to humankind, an estimated 30,000 are edible and approximately 7,000 have at some point been used as food. However, more than 90 percent of crop varieties have disappeared from farmers’ fields during the past 100 years; the varieties left that build our food system are predicted to suffer under climate change. The biodiversity maintained on indigenous peoples’ farms may be the key to building resilient food systems that can withstand changing weather patterns, meet nutritional and cultural needs of communities, and rehabilitate degraded ecosystems. LEARN MORE...
We Matter Video - Australia
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August 1, 2018
In July, We Matter launched their #WeMatterAustralia videos. Young people across the globe are doing inspiring things and we all matter! Check out this message from one Koorie youth: |
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Cutting Greyhound service in Western Canada puts Indigenous women at risk
July 18, 2018 - Globe and Mail
Emily Riddle is a graduate student and policy analyst. She is Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) and a member of the Alexander First Nation.
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When I saw the news that Greyhound had decided to cut its bus services in Canada west of Sudbury, I was shocked and disappointed, not just because I’m another millennial without a driver’s licence, who has often utilized Greyhound buses – but because I am a Cree woman who knows that this loss of a vital service puts the safety of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people at risk. We deserve to travel our homelands free from violence, and while transportation is only a small component of the changes needed for that to happen, it is an important one.
We have long known that lack of access to transportation in rural and remote areas in this country is a factor in the murder and disappearance of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people in Canada. ......READ MORE |
We Matter Went International
July 1, 2018
This past month, We Matter Co-Founder, Tunchai Redvers, brought We Matter messages of hope, culture and strength abroad to Australia! 200 Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander young people from across the state of Victoria (Kulin Nation) gathered in Melbourne for the Koorie Youth Summit. The Koorie Youth Summit is an annual gathering hosted by the Koorie Youth Council, an organization dedicated to advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Straight youth.
Check out this awesome video from the 2018 Koorie Youth Summit: VIDEO
Indigenous youth everywhere matter and are doing amazing things in their communities -so keep an eye out for some of We Matter’s first international video messages!
Check out this awesome video from the 2018 Koorie Youth Summit: VIDEO
Indigenous youth everywhere matter and are doing amazing things in their communities -so keep an eye out for some of We Matter’s first international video messages!
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We Matter team member, Linnea Dick, was also featured on CBC Radio: Out in the Open, talking about Indigenous youth experiences with mental health.
Listen to her inspiring interview |
We Matter: bringing hope to Indigenous youth - CBC Tapestry
March 15, 2018 - CBC Radio Tapestry
Kelvin (left) and Tunchai (right) are travelling across Canada with the We Matter campaign bringing their message of hope and truth to Indigenous youth.
Lack of clean water. Lack of housing. Lack of educational and job opportunities. Families facing addiction and abuse. These are just of the many struggles facing Canada's Indigenous peoples. Perhaps the most troubling news of all involves the heartbreaking toll of suicide; stories of young people whose circumstances have challenged their will to live.
Kelvin and Tunchai Redvers are a brother and sister team who are doing something about this. They created the We Matter campaign to help sow seeds of hope and connection among Indigenous youth.
Hear the podcast and learn how the We Matter campaign is making a difference and sowing hope for kids who feel they have no hope.
Kelvin and Tunchai Redvers are a brother and sister team who are doing something about this. They created the We Matter campaign to help sow seeds of hope and connection among Indigenous youth.
Hear the podcast and learn how the We Matter campaign is making a difference and sowing hope for kids who feel they have no hope.
Development and Peace - Caritas Canada signs on to the Leap Manifesto, a call for Canada based on caring for the earth and one another
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Development and Peace - Caritas Canada is proud to announce its endorsement of the Leap Manifesto, which is a hopeful call for transformation of the Canadian economic model, from an unequal economy based on resource extraction and fossil fuels towards one that is based on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and economic and social justice. In signing the Manifesto, Development and Peace joins Canada’s social, faith, and labour movements for Indigenous rights, social and food justice, and environmental justice in making a bold leap towards a vision of our country which allows for all of us to live sustainably in dignity.
The Leap Manifesto was launched in 2015, the same year as Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si, as the world was preparing for the Paris Climate Conference, COP21. .....LEARN MORE |
We Matter:
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Check out the website - We Matter - Share this with someone who matters to you!
January 22, 2018
Tiny House Warriors build homes to protest pipeline plans
Listen to CBC Podcast
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They call themselves the Tiny House Warriors, and they are using tiny houses to stand up against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline.
The build site is in the heart of the Secwepemc territory in British Columbia, 50 kilometers east of Kamloops, in Mayuk Manuel's backyard. She and her twin sister Kanahus Manuel started the Tiny House Warriors. Read More |
Indigenous lands and protecting our earth
October 30, 2017 - GCCM
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Indigenous people live in over 93% of supposedly “uninhabited land. When indigenous people control their own land, all life benefits from clean air, water, and protection.
The result has become something of an ecological and financial disaster. Learn more, share and act. |
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October 10, 2017
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls
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“The complex interplay of factors – many of which are part of the legacy of residential schools – needs to be examined, as does the lack of success of police forces in solving these crimes against Aboriginal women” Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Final Report, December 2015 The MMIWG Information Hub on the KAIROS website is focused on providing information, resources and updates related to the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. The hope is to create a hub, where allies can come together here: kairoscanada.org |
October 4, 2017 - Change.org
First Nations Children NOW
(A) group of concerned citizens (are) urging Prime Minister Trudeau and the Canadian government to support culturally based equity for First Nations children.
Background
In a landmark ruling released on January 26, 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the Canadian government is racially discriminating against 163,000 First Nations children and their families by providing flawed and inequitable child welfare services ("FNCFS Program") and failing to implement Jordan's Principle to ensure equitable access to government services available to other children....First Nations children are uniquely impacted by federal underfunding of services on-reserve. It is unacceptable that the federal government does not provide First Nations children, youth and families with equitable education, health care, child welfare and basics like clean drinking water. Read More
Background
In a landmark ruling released on January 26, 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the Canadian government is racially discriminating against 163,000 First Nations children and their families by providing flawed and inequitable child welfare services ("FNCFS Program") and failing to implement Jordan's Principle to ensure equitable access to government services available to other children....First Nations children are uniquely impacted by federal underfunding of services on-reserve. It is unacceptable that the federal government does not provide First Nations children, youth and families with equitable education, health care, child welfare and basics like clean drinking water. Read More
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Again election promises are being ignored. "The numerous initiatives that have been taken at the federal and provincial-territorial levels to address the problems faced by indigenous peoples have been insufficient," UN official, Anaya, said in his report. See the CBC Story.
Little has changed. |
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