Executive Director Eriel Deranger and Executive Committee Member Clayton Thomas-Muller (350.org) discussed ICA turning down a $150K award from Aviva Canada and the importance of Indigenous rights in the climate justice movement.

Early last week Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) received news they had won the $150,000 Aviva Canada Community Legacy Award. However, ICA made an unconventional decision to reject the award and cash prize because of a ‘direct contradiction’ with Aviva’s financial relationships

Aviva Canada reached out to notify us we were the winners of the Community Legacy Fund – an exclusive $150,000 cash prize. This news should have been reason to celebrate: But we had discovered something.

It’s been about five days since the official closing of the UNFCCC #COP23. I really wanted to make some time to get home and be home. Centered and thoughtful about this last round-up of #COP23 thoughts.

For this meeting, we are being hosted by Fiji but physically in Bonn, Germany. It was important for #COP23 to be hosted by a small island state. Since we know small island states will be drowned if we cannot meet 1.5degree threshold.

We would like to introduce to you some new faces that are now a part of Indigenous Climate Action. It is with great pleasure we introduce you to our five new staff members.

We received notice this week that we are officially a finalist in the Aviva Community Fund Competition, Community Legacy Category! We will hear back on December 5th, if we are the winners!

Between October 10th to 19th, the Aviva Community Fund is offering us the opportunity to win $150,000 for our project: Indigenous Led Climate Justice - A toolkit for action. Over the next nine days, we will be sharing updates on our social media accounts, encouraging people to vote each day.