The year is winding down, and I want to take this opportunity to reflect on 2024 and what we’ve accomplished together — while sharing a bit of insight into the year ahead for RAVEN. 

2024 has been another busy year for RAVEN’s work, and a landmark year for some of our partner Nations, new and old! 

Beaver Lake Cree Nation finally received the decision about their advance costs order from the Alberta government, which is critical in ensuring that the Nation’s legal challenge moves forward. After pursuing an advance costs order for six years, the court held that Alberta is to pay $1.5 million per year to Beaver Lake Cree Nation for their litigation costs, and the court ordered that this will continue until the litigation is settled or until the trial is complete. 

In partnership with Kebaowek First Nation, we launched our most ambitious timeline for a fundraising campaign yet. Just six weeks before their judicial review hearing date, we mobilized the RAVEN community to amplify the First Nation’s call to action to say no to nuclear waste on their unceded territory.

And, if we weren’t ambitious enough — about a week after launching Kebaowek First Nation’s campaign, we launched another campaign with Grassy Narrows First Nation. Grassy Narrows is taking Canada and Ontario to court over mercury contamination of their life-giving river in northern Ontario — a call for justice over 50 years in the making. 

Alongside these major campaign updates, we have been working to grow the RAVEN community across Canada. As an organization with an office on the west coast, we recognize that the territories of the First Nations we partner with stretch across these lands. So we’ve been increasing our presence in communities a bit further from home for us. This has included visits to partner Nation communities, hosting RAVEN events in Toronto, speaking at events and conferences in Alberta, and more! And everywhere we went this year, we found that the RAVEN community is growing. The people are behind us in this movement.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re gearing up for some pivotal moments in our campaigns. 

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs are finalizing changes to their case which will advance a key legal fight for land and climate justice in Canada, with the potential for global transformative change.

Gitxaała Nation is heading to the court of appeal in the next chapter of their legal challenge that aims to establish how B.C. must meaningfully implement UNDRIP into its laws.

We’re also hoping to hear a decision about Kebaowek First Nation’s hearing, which could set a powerful precedent for how the Canadian government must consider and implement UNDRIP, too.

These are just a few of the things on the horizon for our campaigns in 2025. As I often say, while we just want to have fundamental rights, enforcing them is costly. Without access to resources, having a right is often meaningless in a legal system that is neither just nor equitable. Donate now and support our work in 2025 to increase access to justice for Indigenous Peoples. 

With your support as the year comes to a close, we will be perched for success as we head into a busy January and 2025 and we keep working towards a future where all living things can thrive.