Letter From the Executive Director
Executive Director: Eriel Tchekwie Deranger
Eglanate,
I wanted to take an opportunity to address some questions that have been coming from the community as well as make an exciting announcement. As many of you may have noticed, there is a job posting and recruitment for a new Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA). As you may remember, I made an announcement before Christmas that I had won the prestigious Climate Breakthrough award and that this would bring exciting new changes. This is part of these changes - I am shifting out of the Executive Director position and bringing new life to the organization as I explore building out a global initiative.
ICA has been working with Pathways Executive Search, a firm guided by Indigenous values and principles of Indigenous inclusion, headquartered on the traditional territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. By working with an Indigenous firm with aligned values and principles, we hope to find a new Executive Director who can uphold the values of ICA, our communities, and the vision for Indigenous liberation for a climate stable future.
So what does this mean for me? Well, first and foremost, I will not be leaving ICA, in fact, I will be transitioning into a senior executive role as the President of the organization and pass on the Executive Director responsibilities to the new incumbent. This shift marks both a personal and professional evolution, rooted in reflection and future vision, and something I have been thinking and reflecting on for some time now.
Last year, I was humbled to receive the Climate Breakthrough Award and this opportunity has encouraged me to consider how the insights and experience gained in the last decade building and stewarding the foundations of ICA might inform a new global project, one that aspires to deepen and expand the impact of Indigenous climate leadership on an international scale. After much discussion with the current ICA Board of Directors and Leadership team, the visioning and imagining of this new and emerging global project will continue to be supported and held by ICA. This new project would not be a possibility without the foundations created by ICA and its communities within.
Global Advisory Team for Climate Breakthrough project
As I move forward in a new role as the President of ICA and build out a global project, I will not only be guided by ICA’s Board of Director but by a new global advisory council composed of representatives from the seven sociocultural regions of the world. This new project represents an exciting chapter of growth for both myself and ICA. I look forward to sharing more details in the coming months, so stay tuned.
As I make this transition, I do so with deep confidence in ICA’s strength as a community, its funding principles, programs, and collective understanding of a theory of change that holds our work together. Over the years, ICA has built a resilient foundation, with an ecosystem of communities, organizations and peoples that are vital to building our power back as Indigenous leaders in climate justice. It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to help steward this organization, and to witness its growth, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to collective liberation.
I am excited for the new Executive Director, whoever they may be, and what they can bring to the imagination of a just and climate stable future for Indigenous peoples, and how the new and emerging structures of ICA are supporting far more than we ever anticipated. There are many ways to explore and honour the incredible wisdom generated by ICA’s teams and structures and so much beauty in the growth of new spaces created. ICA was a new and blossoming space itself not so long ago, and now has the groundwork to support new spaces and projects to blossom into something equally as beautiful. I am both eager and nervous to step into a new position and build a new project to support the advancement of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination at an international scale.
I am so grateful for the personal and organization support I have received from so many over the years. ICA has allowed me, and will continue to allow me, to build a growing and incredibly strong movement towards the liberation of Indigenous peoples for planetary health, and for the health of Indigenous people internationally. Thank you for all those that have supported me along the way and I can’t wait to lean into this new and exciting chapter.
Mussi Cho,
Eriel Tchekwie Deranger
About the Executive Director Role
Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in close collaboration with the leadership team and the National Steering Committee, the Executive Director will provide organizational oversight and advance strategic goals developed in community. This includes ensuring the operational and financial health of the organization, sustaining and growing philanthropic partnerships, and continuing to build and steward strong internal and external relationships. The successful candidate will understand the responsibility of relational leadership and bring a commitment to care, accountability, and shared power. They will be a steady and inspiring presence who upholds Indigenous-led approaches to governance, advocacy, and climate action.
