Posts by Andrea Palframan
The last word in Gitxaała’s Big Mining Challenge
Despite having only 2 weeks to prepare, Lisa Fong’s legal team, together with Gavin Smith of West Coast Environmental Law, presented so many pages in their 89-page submission of their closing arguments, they exceeded the upload bandwidth of the Law Courts’ portal. With just one day to sum it all up, Gitxaała’s lawyers did a…
Read MoreAn Earth Day homecoming story
We are so happy for Gitxaała standing up against colonial forces to preserve their land and culture for future generations.
Read MoreNo fooling, it’s our birthday: buy yourself — or someone you love — a present in RAVEN’s new online shop!
For our birthday, we’ve got a surprise for you. We’ve been quietly putting the finishing touches on our new Online Shop, where we’re featuring high quality, sustainably sourced t-shirts, tote bags, mugs and touques featuring art by Indigenous creators like Mark Gauti (Coast Salish) and the late Mervyn Windsor (Heiltusk-Haisla).
Read MoreGitxaała is Heading to Court
Legal challenges are like icebergs. There is a mass of work involved in preparing arguments, collecting evidence from elders and community members, pulling together expert reports and interviewing plaintiffs. While the work of RAVEN supports that process every step of the way, it’s only when Nations are in court, at hearings, that all that work…
Read MoreAlberta lawyers say “Canada has no history of oppression”, proving how desperately they need Indigenous justice training
The fact that that 50 lawyers in Alberta have been trying to wriggle out of taking a short course on Indigenous cultural competency proves the TRC’s point: that such education is sorely needed.
Read MorePODCAST: The Constitution Express with Doreen Manuel
We sat down with Doreen Manuel, a Secwepemc filmmaker and one of the organizers of the historic Constitution Express.
Read MorePassing forward Grandmother wisdom, wrapped up as legal precedents
As we pick our way along a cedar-lined trail near Bella Bella, B.C. elder Pauline Waterfall explains how her Heiltsuk traditions have been “passed forward” to her. Having suffered through colonial onslaughts of genocide and residential schools, the resilience that Pauline embodies goes much further than just cultural survival. When you follow her into the…
Read MoreVIDEO: Groundswell Indigenous Mining Summit
Last night, we hosted an absolutely riveting conversation that should motivate anyone with a sense of justice to get behind Gitxaala’s mining challenge. The passionate arguments that presenters brought forward illuminated the genius of pairing the deep wisdom of land-based tradition carriers with the brightest legal strategists in the country. Have a listen. Chat Transcript…
Read MoreJohn Borrows – On Mindfulness, and Indigenous Law
John Borrows is a member of RAVEN’s legal advisory panel and is co-founder of the joint Common Law and Indigenous Law program at the University of Victoria, the first of its kind. He spoke as part of Sorrento Centre’s Mindfulness and Indigenous Law Conference, sharing beautiful stories and teachings on Indigenous law from his Chippewan of the Nawash Nation and ancestors.
Read MoreTruth Before Reconciliation: Wenecwtsin Wayne Christian
Wayne Christian (Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan) shares about his family’s experiences with the Sixties Scoop, and how through revitalization of Indigenous law and traditions is sustaining a new generation of knowledge keepers and land protectors.
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