b'YOUTH SUPPORTstories, young people can see that while they may face tough hurdles in life, there can also be positive developments ahead. They have a future and they have the ability to forge that future. (The videos can be viewed at:wemattercampaign.org/campaigns/videos.)Important to We Matters fundamental mission is not only to communicate to Indigenous youth that they matter, but to create spaces of support for those going through a hard time while fostering unity and resiliency, as well as helping forge the Indigenous leaders of tomorrow. Our main goal is to support Indigenous young people to empower them to be the leaders Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ambassadors of Hope used to do on-site presentations in communities, connecting directly with groups and indi-viduals. Now they are reaching out to the youth through virtual tools such as videos through Instagram. Our main goal is really life promotion to spread the message of hope with Indigenous youth, so they knowFosterthey are not alone and that there is help out there, Vessel says. They dont need to feelConnection.there is no futurethere is a future. ThereCommunity. Culture. Family.are a lot of people who have been in the same position they feel they are in who have been able to overcome those hardships andHelp children from our 30really grow from those experiences. First Nations stay connectedVessel has been so inspired by her workto their community, culture,with We Matter that she is now pursuingand family. Become a fostera postgraduate degree in psychology. Iparent with Tikinagan.am currently doing my masters degree in counselling psychology so my hope fortikinagan.orgthe future is really to be able to continue studying these messages of hope and hope-fully counselling Indigenous people through the lens of We Matter and this idea that there are opportunities out there and they dont have to feel caught up in this world of colonization, she says.SUPPORT & COMMUNITYThe basic role of an Ambassador of Hope is to uplift youth and to let them know there is hope. While suicide rates for Indigenous youth remain higher than that of other Canadians, and the same can be said about rates of addiction, abuse and high-school dropouts, We Matter does not believe this has to be the case. It is doing what it can to change that negative undercurrent. In addition to sending out Ambassadors of Hope, the organization also shares hundreds of videos of Indigenous individuals who have been through hardships themselves and who can now relay their own messages of hope to other youth. Through their Ontario Native Womens Association47'