Walking in Unity: Help Us Raise $100K for Indigenous Youth

♥ Walking in Unity ♥

At the heart of this campaign is a dream: a future where Indigenous youth thrive – deeply rooted in culture, connected to community, and supported every step of the way.

♥ Who We Are ♥

My name is Natasha Lariviere, and I’m the CEO & Founder of Endaayaan Awejaa, a 2-Spirit and Indigenous-led nonprofit organization based in North Bay, Ontario. I started this work in 2020 to honour my loved ones – those we lost too soon to the ongoing impacts of colonization and intergenerational trauma.

What began as providing care packages and medicine bundles during the pandemic has grown into a movement for healing, youth empowerment, and cultural resurgence. Guided by our motto, Maawi Bmosedaa, meaning “Walking in Unity”, our work is grounded in our four pillars: Arts & Culture, Education, Harm Reduction, and Reconciliation.

Our motto, Maawi Bmosedaa – “Walking in Unity” – guides all that we do. We believe that healing and growth happen through relationships built on care, respect, and shared purpose. Through ceremony, land-based learning, and consistent support, we nurture the connections between youth and Elders, families and communities, and the land and spirit.

This campaign supports the community I serve and love – Indigenous youth in the North Bay & Nipissing First Nation area, and beyond.

♥ What Your Support Will Fund ♥

We’re raising $100,000 to expand Endaayaan Awejaa’s impact across three core areas:

30% – Youth Learning Lodge

A yearly land-based cultural camp where youth, Elders, and knowledge keepers gather for hide tanning, arts workshops, traditional teachings, and ceremony. It’s a space for youth to reconnect with culture, identity, and hands-on skills in a safe, empowering environment.

30% – Youth Exchange Program

Inspired by the teaching of the wandering years, this initiative supports Indigenous youth as they travel, connect across Nations, and explore who they are — through culture, story, and shared experience.

40% – Operations & Capacity

Every meaningful program needs a strong foundation. Your support helps us grow sustainably by supporting staffing, planning, and infrastructure so we can continue to walk in unity with youth for the long term.

Your donations will go directly toward:

Travel and honorariums for Elders and knowledge keepers

Supplies for workshops, ceremonies, and land-based learning

Food, lodging, and transportation for youth

Staff support, planning, and capacity-building resources

We are currently incorporated and operate as a grassroots, community-led organization. As founder and director, I personally oversee all funds and ensure they are used in alignment with our mission. Donations will be managed through our organizational account and tracked carefully to uphold integrity, transparency, and community care.

As we grow, we are also working to strengthen our financial systems to better serve our youth and community in the long term.

♥ Why It Matters ♥

Indigenous youth deserve more than survival; they deserve safe spaces to heal, grow, and lead. When youth have access to culture, land, and community, they thrive – reclaiming their identity and stepping into their power.

This work strengthens connection, honours their gifts, and reminds youth that they are sacred, loved, valued, and powerful. Your support helps us create safe, empowering spaces – building meaningful change for future generations.

♥ In Their Words ♥

“Endaayaan Awejaa is a very, very special place to me. I feel like being a part of EA has truly helped me come into my own. It feels like I’m becoming the person I’ve always wanted to be, which is being a part of my culture, being a part of a community.”

– Lauren, 22, 2-Spirit, Mushkegowuk Cree

“Endaayaan Awejaa has made a difference in my life by providing me the cultural and emotional support I needed to better myself in my times of need. It provides an invaluable opportunity for Indigenous youth needing support.”

– Stéphane, 23, 2-Spirit, Algonquin & Métis

“Endaayaan Awejaa is an organization that works from the heart. It creates a safe space for all Indigenous youth that allows them to continue to be resilient to life challenges. EA has been a space that has saved young lives.”

– Jade, 20, 2-Spirit, Anishinaabe

♥ Walk in Unity with Us ♥

Your gift is more than a donation – it’s a statement.

A statement that you believe in Indigenous youth.

That culture is medicine.

That healing grows when we stand together.

Donate today and walk in unity with us – in culture, in community, in spirit.

Will you help us reach our $100,000 goal?