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| Rising Indigenous Elders Collective | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rising Indigenous Elders Collective |
| Formation | 2018 |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy collective |
| Headquarters | Unceded territories (Pacific Northwest) |
| Region served | Indigenous communities across North America |
| Leader title | Convenor |
Rising Indigenous Elders Collective is a grassroots coalition founded in 2018 by intergenerational Indigenous leaders to amplify elder leadership in cultural revitalization, land stewardship, and intercommunity mentorship. The Collective connects Indigenous knowledge holders with Indigenous-led institutions, activists, and cultural practitioners across Turtle Island, aligning with movements led by organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, National Congress of American Indians, Native American Rights Fund, First Nations Summit, andIdle No More. The Collective engages with tribal governments, cultural centers, and academic programs associated with University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of New Mexico, Harvard University, andStanford University to document oral histories and support policy advocacy.
The Collective emerged after a series of gatherings influenced by precedents like the Tribal Council forums, Indigenous Peoples' Summit, and the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests; founding convenors included elders and knowledge keepers connected to communities represented by leaders such as Wilton Littlechild, Terry Cross, Phil Fontaine, Elouise Cobell, andWinona LaDuke. Initial meetings drew support from cultural institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association, and the Native American Heritage Association. The Collective’s formation was informed by legal and policy contexts shaped by the Indian Act (Canada), the Indian Reorganization Act, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and landmark cases such as Delgamuukw v British Columbia andMcGirt v. Oklahoma.
The Collective’s mission centers on intergenerational transmission, cultural survival, and sovereignty, aligning values discussed in gatherings of leaders like Oren Lyons, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Taiaiake Alfred, Ellen Gabriel, andBuffy Sainte-Marie. Objectives include amplifying elder voices in forums such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Canada), the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, and the Pan-Indian movement, and supporting rights asserted in instruments like the Treaty of Fort Laramie and the Royal Proclamation of 1763. The Collective emphasizes language revitalization linked to projects at institutions like Hakai Institute, Endangered Languages Project, and the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages.
Programs include oral history archiving collaborations with the Library and Archives Canada, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the World Intellectual Property Organization; language nests modeled after initiatives by Kamehameha Schools and Hau'oli Mau Loa; land-based teaching partnerships with organizations such as Land Back, Native Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Land; and wellness programs inspired by approaches of Dr. Bonnie Duran, Dr. Michael Yellow Bird, Dr. Kelliher and community healers. The Collective runs mentorship networks linking elders to artists and scholars associated with National Endowment for the Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, Anishinaabeg Artists, Indigenous Film Festivals, and curricula used at First Nations University of Canada and Alaska Native Medical Center.
Governance employs consensus models influenced by Haudenosaunee Confederacy protocols and advisory councils similar to those in Yurok Tribe, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Blackfeet Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Navajo Nation governance. Membership comprises elders, matriarchs, knowledge keepers, and allied youth nominated by community organizations such as the Native Youth Network, Indigenous Women's Network, National Indigenous Youth Council, and regional bodies like the Council of Yukon First Nations. The Collective consults legal counsel and policy advisors familiar with Indian Health Service, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and treaty offices.
Impact is demonstrated through partnerships with cultural institutions including the Canadian Museum of History, the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, the Autry Museum of the American West, and community organizations such as Seeding Sovereignty, Indigenous Climate Action, Sault Ste. Marie Friendship Centre, and Urban Native Youth Association. Collaborative projects have involved artists and scholars like Jocelyn Piirainen, Angela Sterritt, Aaron Huey, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, and Lee Maracle; policy engagements have interfaced with bodies like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and legislative processes in forums such as the House of Commons (Canada) and the United States Congress.
Funding streams include grants and partnerships with foundations and funders such as the Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Calgary Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Indigenous Services Canada, and private philanthropy linked to institutions like Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. The Collective pursues diversified revenue through fee-for-service cultural programming with museums, academic fellowships at University of Victoria, and revenue-sharing arrangements tied to community enterprises such as tribal tourism initiatives in collaboration with Destination Canada and regional economic development corporations.
Media coverage has appeared in outlets and platforms like The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Indian Country Today, CBC Radio, AP, VICE, and documentaries screened at festivals including Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Vancouver International Film Festival. Public honors and acknowledgments have paralleled awards and recognitions associated with the Order of Canada, MacArthur Fellows Program, Pulitzer Prize reporting on Indigenous issues, and cultural accolades from bodies like the Canadian Folk Music Awards and the Native American Music Awards.
Category:Indigenous organizations in North America