Learning Resources
“… many generations of children, including you and your parents, have been raised to think about things in a different way, in the wrong way, in a way that is negative when it comes to Aboriginal People. And we need to change that. It was the educational system that has contributed to this problem in this country. And it is the educational system, we believe, which is going to help us to get away from this…. We cannot look for quick and easy solutions because there are none. We need to be able to look at this from the perspective of where do we want to be in 3 or 4 or 5 or 7 generations from now, when we talk about the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal People in this country. And if we can agree on what that relationship needs to look like in the future then what we need to think about, is what can we do today that will contribute to that objective. Reconciliation will be about ensuring that everything we do today is aimed at that high standard of restoring that balance to that relationship.”
— Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Winners announced: essays by young scholars explore Indigenous law, environmental planning
Photo by Robin Munshaw We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2020 Harmony Environmental Essay Prize for Young Scholars. Please meet our winners and read their carefully researched papers: First Place – Da Chen “Sharing of the Dish: The... read more
Why You Should Know the Sparrow Case
May 31st marked the 25th anniversary of the Sparrow Case: the day an Indigenous fisherman took on the Queen — and won. The 1990 Supreme Court decision has important prevalence throughout past and ongoing Indigenous rights legal challenges. The case created the... read more
VIDEO: Webinar 2 Creativity, Tenacity and Community: The Key Ingredients Behind Legal Challenges for Climate Justice
During the second episode of the “We are Un-Frackable” webinar series, we delved deep into conversation that not only unpacked the legal strategy behind cases that will challenge the status quo on climate action, but we also learned about the hearts and hopes behind... read more
A Candid Look at the “Rule of Law”
For whom does the Rule of Law apply and for what? If we look back critically on the application of the “rule of law” it has been used to justify human rights violations and other deplorable acts. Unfortunately, this isn’t relegated to the... read more
Important Distinctions: Hereditary Chiefs & Band Councils
If you have been following media coverage and political pundits on the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal GasLink pipeline construction, you have probably heard the popular divide and conquer framing of hereditary leaders vs. elected band council... read more
Man Camps Perpetuate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Violence against the land begets violence against women. Research, testimonies and community members have made this crucial connection. Notably, Amnesty International reported: “Oil and gas extraction, coal mining, and hydroelectric development help fuel the... read more
What you need to know about Delgamuukw vs. British Columbia
The Delgamuuk Supreme Court decision has been a main point of interest during the contentious RCMP raid of Wet’suwet’en lands during the winters of 2019 and 2020 for the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. While B.C. premier John Horgan... read more
Crucial Connections: COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has swept through communities around the world, leaving many grappling with uncertainty of economic stability, public health infrastructure and political upheaval. The rapidness in which the pandemic took hold and manifested is explosive and... read more
We are UnFrackable: Wet’suwet’en Webinar Series Launches
Join RAVEN and the Council of Canadians for a three-part webinar series focussed on national resistance to LNG – aka fracked gas. The narrative peddled by government and industry is that LNG is “ethical”, “environmental”, and “economic”. We’ll bring together fantastic... read more
RAVEN is justice, powered by the crowd
RAVEN is honoured to be working in partnership with Wet’suwet’en Nation to fundraise for legal challenges to push back against unwanted industrial activity in their territory. Read more about the cases here: #WetsuwetenStrong Allies Toolkit When crafting a... read more
Episode One : The Power of Music to ‘up the Auntie’ in us all
We are THRILLED to be launching the new “Raven Debriefs” podcast, meant for everyone out there who is wondering just what we talk about when we talk about “LAW” in this country. 10 years ago Susan Smitten founded this organization called RAVEN: the... read more
#WetsuwetenStrong Allies Toolkit
Ready to get organized in support of Wet’suwet’en land protectors? We’ve put together this Toolkit for Action: please share widely! Calls to Action Wet’suwet’en leadership have asked the RAVEN community to stand with them as they pursue... read more
Get Clear on Wet’suwet’en Law: Unpacking Canadian Court and Media’s Confusion
There has been a lot of confusion in the media and even within the B.C. government about the place of Wet’suwet’en Indigenous law within the Canadian system. Even as the RCMP occupy a bridge on the Morice River, Premier John Horgan blithely talks about a “familial... read more
Unpacking Solidarity & Allyship
With reconciliation being discussed in communities, in classrooms, in boardrooms and on the floor of Parliament, there is an upwelling of interest and passion for engagement with Indigenous rights in Canada. Canadians are leaning in to understand the history of... read more
A Necessary Resource: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a comprehensive statement addressing the human rights of Indigenous peoples. It was drafted and formally debated for over 20 years prior to being adopted by the General Assembly on 13... read more
Our Vision? A Country Where Democracy Thrives with Honoured Indigenous Rights
RAVEN’s vision is a country where constitutional democracy is flourishing because Indigenous laws, rights and stewardship values are honoured. We are spotlighting some of our favourite programs aimed at exploring, honouring and understanding Indigenous laws in BC.... read more
Understanding the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Everyday
The worldwide drive to extract and develop minerals and fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal), coupled with the fact that much of what remains of these natural resources is situated on the lands of indigenous peoples, results in increasing and ever more widespread effects... read more
How to Implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent: An Overview
On November 12, 2010, Canada issued a Statement of Support endorsing the UN Declaration. What does the implementation of this declaration mean? How can government and businesses implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent? The UN Declaration is monumental because it is... read more
The Importance of Free, Prior and Informed Consent
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is the right of Indigenous Peoples to say “yes” or “no” to all proposed developments that may affect the collective rights of their communities. Consent must be discussed free from threat to individuals or communities; must be... read more