Abstract:

Indigenous youth experience the highest rates of negative instances such as suicide, yet are the fastest growing demographic in Canada. This has been at the heart of the of the work of Tunchai Redvers, co-founder of We Matter, a national non-profit organization committed to Indigenous youth empowerment, hope and life promotion. Tunchai makes the case that changing this reality and creating environments for Indigenous youth to both live and succeed means centering Indigenous youth voices, honouring Indigenous strengths, and challenging toxic norms and beliefs. Tunchai Redvers is an Indigenous queer/two-spirit woman, social justice warrior, poet, and wanderer. With Dene and Métis roots, she comes from Treaty 8 territory, born and raised in the Northwest Territories. By the age of 22 she has been named one of MTV and WE Day’s Top 10 Drivers of Change in Canada, is a recipient of territorial, university, and nationwide scholarships, has been published in a number of works for her poetry and academic articles, is the recipient of the Lawson Foundation's Emerging Leaders Award, and is the Co-Founder of We Matter, a national non-profit organization committed to Indigenous youth empowerment, hope, and life promotion.