VICTORIA, BC—Alex Krawczyk, daughter of philanthropists the late Honey and Dr. Barry Sherman has made a large donation to the organization RAVEN. The grassroots Indigenous NGO has a mandate is to raise legal defence for Indigenous people who are arrested for enforcing their rights and title to protect their traditional territories.
“I believe it is important for Canadians to recognize the inherent rights and sovereignty of Indigenous Nations, as well as to support self-determination and long-overdue justice for Indigenous Peoples,” says Ms. Krawczyk. “I am truly proud and humbled to have made this gift, and I wish RAVEN continued success with its many important campaigns across the country.”
RAVEN is an acronym for RAVEN Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs. Their executive director, Danielle Wilson of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation says that the organization helps to level the playing field between governments and large corporations that have the resources to engage in lengthy court battles, whereas impoverished First Nations people seldom do, something that local First Nations activist Tom Hare has told The Expositor in the past.
RAVEN support for front lines activists has previously relied on crowdsourcing from community members across the country and the impact has been crucial. Cases supported by RAVEN have had a significant influence in prevailing the Northern Gateway pipeline project, that threatened hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in Yukon’s Peel Watershed and supporting Beaver Lake Cree Nation (BCLN) in a landmark Supreme Court case to limit oil-sands expansion in their territory. BLCN established a precedent for securing funding to sustain prolonged and costly litigation in cases of national significance.
The Krawczyk Family Foundation has made previous donations to Anishnawbe Health in Toronto, Partners in Health and the Humber Frontline Support Fund and is contributing positively to systemic shifts at the convergence of human and planetary health and well-being.
“RAVEN board member Cliff Atleo Jr., a member of Nuu-chah-nulth and Tsimshian Nations and an assistant professor of Indigenous Governance at Simon Fraser University, emphasizes the critical role of RAVEN cases in addressing key issues of climate justice. Atleo’s research in public health underscores the broader societal benefits derived from upholding Indigenous rights. He highlights the profound interconnectedness of Indigenous Peoples with their territories and other-than-human relatives. As Indigenous communities strive to safeguard their land and waters, these efforts directly impact both individual and collective health.”
Often the most affected by climate change are also the leaders in climate justice. The Krawczyk Family Foundations donations will also be utilized to help fight a Treaty rights challenge in Northern Ontario’s vast peatlands which the plaintiffs call ‘The Breathing Lands’ or what mining corporations have dubbed ‘The Ring of Fire.’
RAVEN is actively engaged in challenging the mineral tenures system in British Columbia, aiming to align the mineral staking process with B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Additionally, RAVEN is collaborating with the coastal Heiltsuk Nation in a groundbreaking legal challenge asserting Aboriginal title to the ocean. This effort seeks to legally establish Indigenous marine stewardship values. Wilson says that in the past the organization has had to turn down requests from important and deserving cases because of lack of capacity, “Now, we’ll have the capacity to invite more Nations into our circle of support, uphold and extend the rights of Indigenous Nations, and leave a legacy of stronger environmental protection for generations to come.”
