We are seeing something powerful across Canada: people are coming together to challenge injustice, working towards a future where all life is valued and respected. From Heiltsuk’s push to toughen oil spill regulations along Canada’s coastlines following the Nathan E. Stewart spill, to Grassy Narrows’ decades-long call for justice after 10 tonnes of inorganic mercury was discharged into the life-giving English-Wabigoon river system, thousands of people are supporting Indigenous Peoples in their pursuit to heal their lands, waters, and cultures. 

This Indigenous-led resistance is not merely a cultural difference in how humans relate to nature. Indigenous communities bear the disastrous impacts of these industry-caused environmental crises, which are usually authorized by governments across Canada. 

Environmental racism is a systemic issue in Canada. There’s a long history of marginalized communities suffering at the hands of industry, all authorized by the Crown. Such authorization for industry to pollute the lands, waters, and air that Indigenous Nations successfully governed over thousands of years is still an ongoing issue today.

At RAVEN, we know that meaningful change starts with uncovering truths. It starts with educating ourselves so we understand the roots of injustice and can begin planting seeds of transforming systems of oppression. That’s why we’ve created “Working to Preserve: Environmental Racism and Indigenous Resilience in Canada.” This report explores why environmental racism exists, how it’s woven into the fabric of the country, and some critical points on how to meaningfully address it. Spoiler alert – one way to address environmental racism is to hold governments and industry accountable through advocacy!