Conventional grant-giving processes are bound in Western hierarchical thought, which precludes the most culturally informed Indigenous thinkers. Technological, educational and communication restrictions faced by many Indigenous communities marginalizes blocking access to resources vital to our survival, quality of life, and the transmission of intergenerational knowledge.
WISN has launched a grant giving process that is flexible and curated according to the abilities and strengths of the communities we serve. WISN provides culturally appropriate support to ICPs at risk.
Indigenous Elders and ICPs possess a body of knowledge that no one else has, and is critically important for planetary sustainability and for the youth who will inherit this earth. ICPs continue to be increasingly marginalized as the struggle for the earth’s resources intensifies. ICPs and environmental defenders are routinely being murdered, arrested and intimidated. Alongside the physical abuses, governments and businesses use courts and legal systems to silence those who threaten their interests.