On June 25th, 2025, RAVEN was thrilled to join the authors of The RAVEN Essays in celebrating the publication of their book. RAVEN was hosted by the University Club of Victoria, courtesy of Professor John Borrows, one of the contributors to the book. The beautiful venue provided a lovely backdrop for the intimate and meaningful event.
The event started with words from Ana Simeon, a member of RAVEN’s Board and a previous long-time staff member. Ana spoke of the importance of education in reversing the impacts of colonialism on Indigenous communities and the importance of supporting Indigenous scholars and those seeking to bring Indigenous knowledge into the academy.
Professor Borrows spoke and provided a short reading from the book. Both the reading and his thoughts highlighted the importance of students in higher education. Professor Borrows reflected on the immense knowledge and experiences every student brings into the classroom. He pointed out how each year he learns more from the students, their questions, mistakes, and ideas, than from other professors.
Dawn Hoogeveen spoke of her role in contributing to the book and the immense privilege it was to assist in its coming to fruition. Dawn has spent many years reviewing the essays entered each year for the prize, and as such, her perspective in pulling together the essays into a collection was incredibly valuable.
Susan Smitten, a contributor to the book and previous Executive Director of RAVEN, spoke about the origins of the essay prize. She described being approached by one of the other contributors, Max Ritts, with the idea of an essay prize to elevate Indigenous scholars and scholarship that prioritizes Indigenous knowledge.
Leslie Anne St. Amour, RAVEN’s Interim Executive Director, spoke about the current work of RAVEN. She highlighted the efforts of the team in launching a campaign with Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) early this year, as well as launching two campaigns in 2024 for Grassy Narrows and Kebaowek First Nation. She also spoke of the important work of the newest fund launched by RAVEN, the Community Action Fund, which supports Indigenous Nations in fulfilling their laws alongside the cases they bring in colonial courts.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening to celebrate the completion of the book, the ongoing Harmony Essay Prize, and the gift given by all the authors, as all proceeds from the book will go back to RAVEN!
