7sage

Raven raises legal defence funds for Indigenous nations to protect their rights, title, and traditional territories. A group of representatives of an Indigenous nation will contact Raven and present their campaign and then Raven uses their seven-step test to determine: if there is an environmental legacy, if the case will set precedent that strengthens environmental and Indigenous law, and if there is community support for this action. The decision is made by the legal advisory board, a group of distinguished Indigenous law lawyers, who determines if the case is alongside with Raven’s mandate and vision.

Raven currently has multiple ongoing campaigns across Canada but this year the QPLS fundraising team has decided to follow and fundraise for the new Breathing Lands Campaign. A coalition of several nations is taking the Ontario provincial and federal government to court to press for co-jurisdiction in Treaty No. 9 territory, giving them greater decision-making power over resource extraction projects on their lands. This treaty rights case is based in northern Ontario and aims at protecting the largest intact boreal forest in the world - a carbon storehouse as globally significant as the Amazon rainforest. A win would create a legal requirement for Indigenous consent to any development in Treaty No. 9 territory, strengthening Indigenous sovereignty over 330,000 sq kms. For more information on the campaign, please click the Breathing Lands button. To learn more about how QPLS fundraises for Raven please click the QPLS X Raven button!