Newly appointed Executive Director Emily Cabrera is bringing fresh energy and deep commitment to RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Rights and Environmental Needs) — a national charity dedicated to advancing Indigenous rights and environmental justice through the courts. Since its founding in 2009, RAVEN has stood alongside Indigenous Nations across Canada, raising both funds and awareness to support landmark legal cases that protect lands, waters, and ways of life.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Rights and Environmental Needs) works to support Indigenous Peoples in enforcing their rights and title in court to protect their lands, sovereignty, and ways of being. We partner with Indigenous Nations to raise both funds and awareness for their legal actions. Every campaign RAVEN takes on is an opportunity to redefine justice through setting legal precedents, to return stewardship to First Peoples by advancing Indigenous rights, and to take action for our shared futures by establishing lasting environmental legacies.
What problem does it aim to solve?
At its heart, RAVEN is addressing the deep imbalance in how justice is accessed in this country. Indigenous Nations are continually forced to go to court to defend their lands, waters, and rights, yet they often face governments and corporations with far greater financial and legal resources.
RAVEN is putting reconciliation into action by uniting people across Canada to assist Indigenous Peoples who enforce their rights and title through the courts to protect their traditional territories. RAVEN is the only charity in Canada that provides legal funds to Indigenous Nations to curtail unsustainable development and drive systemic change. Throughout the world, Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront in the fight to protect our planet. RAVEN’s support means that they can still fund critical community needs while pursuing the vital protection of their lands and resources.
When did you start/join it?
October 2025 – so brand new! I am thrilled to support RAVEN’s work of building coalitions with movement leaders, grassroots organizations and passionate supporters to fundraise, organize events, and engage businesses in showing solidarity for Indigenous rights.
What made you want to get involved?
What drew me to RAVEN was its powerful combination of justice, solidarity, and deep respect for Indigenous sovereignty. I’ve always believed that transformative change happens when we align our resources and energy with Indigenous leadership and law, and that’s exactly what RAVEN does.
RAVEN’s work isn’t just about funding legal challenges; it’s about building relationships and collective courage to protect land, water, and future generations. For me, joining RAVEN as Executive Director felt like a natural step and a way to bring my skills in philanthropy, movement building, and Indigenous-led work into an organization that’s walking the talk of reconciliation and decolonization in very real, practical ways.
I wanted to be part of a team that’s proving what’s possible when we act from a place of abundance, trust, and shared responsibility. That’s the kind of leadership and change I want to contribute to every day.
What was the situation like when you started?
Indigenous resistance to colonial land theft and the stripping of Indigenous rights is not new. It has been happening since settler governments started breaking treaty promises and began systematically disenfranchising Indigenous Peoples. RAVEN’s work uplifts and supports Indigenous Nations and organizations who are taking legal action to assert Indigenous sovereignty. There was and continues to be a need for the work RAVEN does for many reasons. At RAVEN we know that there is a larger movement that we are just a small (but necessary) part of. Taking legal action to uphold Indigenous rights is just one way that we are moving towards a more just and sustainable future for all. Popular discourse around Indigenous rights and Aboriginal Title at the time of RAVEN’s founding in 2009 was still largely misunderstood and misinformed.
How has it changed since?
Major cultural shifts and movements since 2009, such as Idle No More, MMIWG2S, Truth and Reconciliation, or even the RAVEN-supported Pull Together Campaign, have permeated the misinformation of public discourse around Indigenous Peoples, their rights, and opened the eyes of the public en masse to the true history of “Canada.” RAVEN’s work has been a part of that, but we recognize ourselves and our work as a part of an ecology of change and transformative justice. Our work is rooted in solidarity. Every year, we see more and more Indigenous Nations taking legal action through the Canadian courts to assert their rights to land, water, and ways of being — rights that even under the Treaty system were never ceded. There are a lot of incredible court wins for Indigenous rights that we have seen over the past 16 years. Whether those legal challenges were supported by RAVEN or not, we celebrate those wins as a step closer to a future where Indigenous rights are not only respected but upheld within the legal system.
What more needs to be done?
RAVEN has built something powerful: a model of solidarity that works. But there’s still so much more to do. We need to keep expanding the circle of people who understand that Indigenous justice is climate justice, and that supporting Indigenous-led legal action benefits everyone.
Beyond raising funds, we need to deepen education and relationships, shifting from transactional giving to transformational partnership. That means engaging more communities, allies, and donors in long-term commitment, not just campaign by campaign.
Internally, it also means continuing to ground RAVEN’s own practices in Indigenous values and leadership, so that how we work reflects the world we’re trying to build. The next chapter is about growing RAVEN’s impact while staying deeply rooted in respect, reciprocity, and relational accountability.
How can our readers help?
There are so many meaningful ways to support RAVEN’s work. The most direct way is to donate to RAVEN. Every dollar truly makes a difference in helping Indigenous Nations uphold their rights and protect the lands and waters we all depend on.
But just as important is helping to spread the word. Readers can host small fundraisers or community events, follow and share RAVEN’s campaigns on social media, and talk to friends and colleagues about why Indigenous justice matters.
People can also become monthly donors or partner with us through their workplaces or foundations to build steady, sustained support so communities can plan ahead and act from a place of strength, not scarcity.
And of course, we always invite people to learn, listen, and stay connected. RAVEN isn’t just an organization; it’s a growing community of people who believe that justice, healing, and climate action all start with standing in solidarity with Indigenous leadership.
Where can we follow you?
You can follow us on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and our website.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
