Lemon Cree Non-Profit Society
OUR VISION
Lemon Cree is a non-profit society whose primary goal is to provide comprehensive leadership development programs for Indigenous youth, to inspire them and to increase their leadership skills and provide opportunities to share their culture and learn from other cultures. Our programs include non-violent communication skills and anti-bullying strategies to inspire, motivate, and build positive relationships, while also improving fitness, health and cultural knowledge. We are committed to providing experiences that will have a life changing impact on our Indigenous youth. In order to build a healthy and strong community, you must first start with the individual.
BOARD MEMBERS
She has an extensive background working with Indigenous First Nations in Canada, United
States and abroad. Early in her career, Theresa owned and operated a successful Indigenous
focused modelling agency called “Mystique Models” in Edmonton, Alberta. Her career started at
the age of 14 where she was a National Fashion Model in Canada for Hudson Bay, Eaton’s,
Simpson Sears, just to name a few. Through Mystique Models, Theresa was hired by the Former
International External and Internal Affairs of Canada to represent Indigenous culture in the
Canadian Embassies around the world. This opportunity gave her literally the world to travel
and perform with her new Dance and Drum group called” Eagle Drum Troupe with performers
from Hobbema, Alberta and Poundmaker in Saskatchewan. They also performed in world expos
concerts in China, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia and Japan numerous times. Later in her career she
got the calling and worked in Canada’s Capital city, Ottawa, Ontario as the National
Communication Officer for the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association as the
Communication Director. Later, She was chosen by the Native Women’s Association in Ottawa to
represent and coordinate the beginning of the movement, Sisters in Spirit across Canada and
Globally for the missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2006.alongside Amnesty
International and this is where she became an National and International Advocate for
Indigenous Women across Turtle Island. In 2009, she stepped down and knew her role now was
to focus on health, fitness and wellness within our Nations for she saw first-hand the sicknesses
of diabetes, heart disease, depression and suicide amongst the youth. Truly epidemic that
needed to be tackled. So, in 2010 to present, Theresa with the help of her family established
Lemon Cree Fitness & Wellness. To date, her unique style has literally helped 1,000s of people
across Canada. She has certified 144 people in over 20 First Nations communities across Canada
and USA to be a Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Advocate for their community. She is
currently running all her Fitness and Wellness programs, plus private training of clients online
to keep everyone motivated, fit and healthy.
JESSICA
MATTEN
Vice-President
Jessica is an actor (Frontier, Burden of Truth…) and founding member of Lemon Cree and Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Non-Profit Society. She also heads #N8VGirls – a social media campaign designed to help spread global awareness of the missing and murdered indigenous females across Canada. She strongly believes in the power of helping others on their own journeys in life and understanding that we are all connected.
DESMOND
DOGAN
Secretary
Desmond is the CEO of Life Sports Fitness Non-Profit. He has a wide-ranging sports and athletic background and experience in creating and implementing youth development programs. A senior nationally trained coach in golf, track and field, dance and more. He was the first program director nationally certified for The First Tee. He is passionate about teaching youth how to build better lifestyle choices through athletics, arts and academics.
STAFF
BOARD MEMBERS
She has an extensive background working with Indigenous First Nations in Canada, United States and abroad. Early in her career, Theresa owned and operated a successful Indigenous focused modelling agency called “Mystique Models” in Edmonton, Alberta. Her career started at the age of 14 where she was a National Fashion Model in Canada for Hudson Bay, Eaton’s, Simpson Sears, just to name a few. Through Mystique Models, Theresa was hired by the Former International External and Internal Affairs of Canada to represent Indigenous culture in the Canadian Embassies around the world. This opportunity gave her literally the world to travel and perform with her new Dance and Drum group called” Eagle Drum Troupe with performers from Hobbema, Alberta and Poundmaker in Saskatchewan. They also performed in world expos concerts in China, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia and Japan numerous times. Later in her career she got the calling and worked in Canada’s Capital city, Ottawa, Ontario as the National Communication Officer for the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association as the Communication Director. Later, She was chosen by the Native Women’s Association in Ottawa to represent and coordinate the beginning of the movement, Sisters in Spirit across Canada and Globally for the missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2006.alongside Amnesty International and this is where she became an National and International Advocate for Indigenous Women across Turtle Island. In 2009, she stepped down and knew her role now was to focus on health, fitness and wellness within our Nations for she saw first-hand the sicknesses of diabetes, heart disease, depression and suicide amongst the youth. Truly epidemic that needed to be tackled. So, in 2010 to present, Theresa with the help of her family established Lemon Cree Fitness & Wellness. To date, her unique style has literally helped 1,000s of people across Canada. She has certified 144 people in over 20 First Nations communities across Canada and USA to be a Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Advocate for their community. She is currently running all her Fitness and Wellness programs, plus private training of clients online to keep everyone motivated, fit and healthy.
JESSICA
MATTEN
Vice-President
Jessica is an actor (Frontier, Burden of Truth…) and founding member of Lemon Cree and Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Non-Profit Society. She also heads #N8VGirls – a social media campaign designed to help spread global awareness of the missing and murdered indigenous females across Canada. She strongly believes in the power of helping others on their own journeys in life and understanding that we are all connected.
DESMOND
DOGAN
Secretary
Desmond is the CEO of Life Sports Fitness Non-Profit. He has a wide-ranging sports and athletic background and experience in creating and implementing youth development programs. A senior nationally trained coach in golf, track and field, dance and more. He was the first program director nationally certified for The First Tee. He is passionate about teaching youth how to build better lifestyle choices through athletics, arts and academics.
STAFF
BOARD MEMBERS
She has an extensive background working with Indigenous First Nations in Canada, United States and abroad. Early in her career, Theresa owned and operated a successful Indigenous focused modelling agency called “Mystique Models” in Edmonton, Alberta. Her career started at the age of 14 where she was a National Fashion Model in Canada for Hudson Bay, Eaton’s, Simpson Sears, just to name a few. Through Mystique Models, Theresa was hired by the Former International External and Internal Affairs of Canada to represent Indigenous culture in the Canadian Embassies around the world. This opportunity gave her literally the world to travel and perform with her new Dance and Drum group called” Eagle Drum Troupe with performers from Hobbema, Alberta and Poundmaker in Saskatchewan. They also performed in world expos concerts in China, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia and Japan numerous times. Later in her career she got the calling and worked in Canada’s Capital city, Ottawa, Ontario as the National Communication Officer for the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association as the Communication Director. Later, She was chosen by the Native Women’s Association in Ottawa to represent and coordinate the beginning of the movement, Sisters in Spirit across Canada and Globally for the missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2006.alongside Amnesty International and this is where she became an National and International Advocate for Indigenous Women across Turtle Island. In 2009, she stepped down and knew her role now was to focus on health, fitness and wellness within our Nations for she saw first-hand the sicknesses of diabetes, heart disease, depression and suicide amongst the youth. Truly epidemic that needed to be tackled. So, in 2010 to present, Theresa with the help of her family established Lemon Cree Fitness & Wellness. To date, her unique style has literally helped 1,000s of people across Canada. She has certified 144 people in over 20 First Nations communities across Canada and USA to be a Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Advocate for their community. She is currently running all her Fitness and Wellness programs, plus private training of clients online to keep everyone motivated, fit and healthy.
JESSICA
MATTEN
Vice-President
Jessica is an actor (Frontier, Burden of Truth…) and founding member of Lemon Cree and Lemon Cree Fitness and Wellness Non-Profit Society. She also heads #N8VGirls – a social media campaign designed to help spread global awareness of the missing and murdered indigenous females across Canada. She strongly believes in the power of helping others on their own journeys in life and understanding that we are all connected.
DESMOND
DOGAN
Secretary
Desmond is the CEO of Life Sports Fitness Non-Profit. He has a wide-ranging sports and athletic background and experience in creating and implementing youth development programs. A senior nationally trained coach in golf, track and field, dance and more. He was the first program director nationally certified for The First Tee. He is passionate about teaching youth how to build better lifestyle choices through athletics, arts and academics.
STAFF
IN HONOUR OF LEONARD GEORGE
LEONARD GEORGE
Elected Chief of Tsleil Waututh Nation (TWN)
Director of Economic Development TWN
Chief Negotiator TWN
Founder of Takaya Developments
Actor (Little Big Man, Smoke Signals…)
The late Leonard Henry George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) in North Vancouver, British Columbia was a man of many titles throughout his life: Elected chief of TWN, residential school survivor, spiritual leader, actor, director of economic development, chief negotiator, husband, father, and friend to many. Leonard illuminated the future for many Indigenous people not only in his community, but across the world.
TWN underwent drastic damaging changes after contact with colonial policies. In 1989, the unemployment rate on the TWN reserve hovered between 60% and 80%, and had pervasive substance abuse problems. Today, it is less than 3% – a change that can be traced to Leonard, through his instinctive business acumen, desire to create partnerships, and ability to see vast potential in his people. Adversity never stopped him, in any aspect of his life. He worked tirelessly and without complaint until the day he passed, constantly pushing the envelope to ensure the security of his people.
TWN now owns and operates several businesses, and has many ongoing real estate development ventures with business partners. One of the last major contributions Leonard made in his career was to help bring together the three nations —TWN, Squamish, and Musqueam (MST)—as a bargaining unit to secure an unprecedented First Nation land acquisition.
Taught by and having worked closely with spiritual and traditional elders, he demonstrated that incorporating the spiritual teachings when doing business with First Nations leads to success. He always advocated for our youth to be educated and build leadership skills that would sustain the Nation for generations to come—“The most important thing in development is the development of people”.