Community Action Fund

Indigenous Nations encounter different types of barriers when pursuing justice. Through the Community Action Fund, RAVEN is supporting the legal orders, traditions, and priorities of Indigenous Nations as they move a case through the Canadian legal system.

(Your tax receipt for this donation will be delivered to your email address by Nov. 30, 2024)

RAVEN's work improves access to justice for Indigenous Nations across Canada. Over time, we have learned that there are many costs beyond legal costs that Nations must pay. Those costs restrict Nations from fully exercising their legal orders and, more importantly, limits Nations' capacity to integrate their culture, customs, and traditions when trying to access justice.

 

For example, sharing specific oral traditions requires feasts or ceremony before they can be shared at times. In many Indigenous worldviews, children are included in decision making and are welcome in all community events, so travel costs and accommodation for children to attend a Nation's court hearing may be necessary. Even something as simple as bringing the community together for an update on the litigation can carry a cost.

 

That's why RAVEN is providing up to $20,000 per court phase (trial, appeal, or Supreme Court of Canada) to Indigenous Nations that need funding to access justice according to their own laws and protocols. 

“There isn't just one set of laws in Canada. There are many different legal systems with each Indigenous Nation, and we need to find a way for those to gain expression to be revitalized ” 

Terri-lynn Williams Davidson – Lawyer from the Haida Nation

Funds disbursed from the Community Action Fund will be flexible to meet the needs of eligible Indigenous Nations. It will cover expenses outside their litigation, such as (but not limited to): travel for elders to attend court to provide support; food and medicines for feasts and ceremonies to prepare for a case; and language translation to enable community members to understand what is being argued in hearings. This way, we can support access to justice in a way that is based on cultural protocols and legal orders, not just the Canadian legal system.

If you are a Nation looking for financial assistance through the Community Action Fund, you can apply by filling out the application form here and submitting it to info@raventrust.com. Please take a look at our guidelines below first to make sure your Nation is eligible. Contact us if you have any access needs that we can assist with in submitting your application:

    1. You must be applying on behalf of an Indigenous Nation or organization. We do not accept applications from individuals.
    2. The request for support must be related to a legal case that an Indigenous Nation or organization is pursuing related to environmental justice or land and title rights. The legal case should be ongoing and active, however, we are open to requests that support the filing of a new legal case.
    3. Funds can be used to support the engagement of a Nation in the legal process, and must exclude legal fees or a lawyers’ direct costs. This includes the costs of expert reports. The fund is intended to be flexible to meet the specific cultural needs of a Nation and their legal case.
    4. If the funds are used to support a community event, the content of the event must be able to be shared publicly to support the sharing of information about the case and the importance of the litigation. Private events where confidential or privileged information is shared will not be eligible for support.
    5. RAVEN will prioritize applications from Nations we are currently partnered with to support their legal cases. Applications from Nations we are not partnered with are still welcome and encouraged and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
    6. Applications will be considered on several factors, most importantly:
  • Alignment with Mission – Does your case advance Indigenous rights, set a precedent, and have an environmental legacy?
  • Impact of Support – Why are you applying for support and how will you use the funds? 
  • Availability of Funds – Support will be dependent on RAVEN's confirmed funding and its projected fundraising abilities.