December 2024 Newsletter

Dear colleagues,

As we experience the powerful moment of solstice, we carry a profound sense of reflection and urgency in this sacred time. We are, as always, inspired by our partners and their impactful work. We share below highlights from the last months.

Best wishes for the winter holidays, and thank you for your continued partnership.

Carla F. Fredericks

CEO

Recent Partner News

Colectivo Mix e has launched the first Indigenous-owned publishing house, NANOKY. This house will have editorial services and a printing press that will focus on the production of Mixe language books and other didactic materials for teaching and learning the Mixe language.ated the 17th anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This milestone served as a crucial reminder about the importance of supporting Indigenous Peoples in their pursuit of self-determination. As we honor this important date, we continue to recognize that the ongoing implementation of UNDRIP is essential for fostering justice and equity. We commend our partners and relatives for their advocacy for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and communities worldwide.

IMPACT Kenya, Namati, and Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiativ e gathered to discuss critical issues regarding protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the African continent at the fourth Community Land Summit.

IllumiNative continues its groundbreaking work in building power for Native Peoples. They continue to build their resource library to enable others to join the movement to amplify a new narrative about Native peoples in the media, pop culture, K-12 education, and other critical sectors.

CBS has featured the People of the Sacred Land’s Truth, Reconciliation, and Education Commission and its impressive and critical work to restore justice and healing to native peoples.

Re:Wild recently announced the return of Polynesian Storm-petrels, ground-nesting seabirds also known as White-throated Storm-petrels to Kamaka Island, French Polynesia, after 100+ years’ absence thanks to a successful restoration and rewilding project.

The Forest Tenure Funders Group Annual Report 2023-2024 describes our collective progress toward meeting the $1.7 billion COP26 Pledge, supporting land tenure and forest guardianship for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in tropical forest regions.

The Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, REPALEAC, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, International Work Group for Indigenous Affair, Sirge Coalition, International Indian Treaty Council, Cultural Survival, and many others attended the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to strengthen and advocate for support of rights and direct financing to Indigenous Peoples.

by Stephanie Walker

Groundbreaking Investment in Two Native Organizations

The Christensen Fund launches Program Related Investment Initiative

Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace

The Christensen Fund has committed a $3,000,000 Program Related Investment (PRI) to Tocabe’s Indigenous Marketplace, a Native-owned and operated restaurant and marketplace offering ready-made Harvest Meals™ that specializes in Native American cuisine.

This investment will help build out their new direct-to-Tribe meal program and support their construction of a Native food producers supply chain.

Tocabe is currently the only Native-owned and operated restaurant and marketplace offering ready-made Harvest Meals™ that specializes in Native American cuisine. Indigenous ingredients are sourced from Native farmers, ranchers, producers and caretakers. Their methodology goes beyond farm to table and is described as, “Seed to Soul.” Indigenous-sourced ingredients provide healthy meals that not only nourish but contribute to the revitalization and preservation of Indigenous culture. Tocabe feeds the soul.

The support from The Christensen Fund goes directly to the development of Tocabe’s Indigenous Marketplace and ready-made Harvest Meals available to order online, thereby broadening accessibility to Native foods. Tocabe’s vision is to embrace the traditions of American Indian Cuisine and ingredients by building community through food. As stated on their website: “We believe that food is more than just sustenance — it’s a powerful way to connect with our heritage, our community, and each other. Join us in our mission to interlink Native and Indigenous food systems with every household to make sure all peoples have access to foods that nourish our communities from seed to soul.”

Get to know more about Tocabe & even order some of their products at https://www.tocabe.com/

In the news:

Why Osage Chef Ben Jacobs Launched a Direct-Tribe Meal Delivery Service – Saveur

Tocabe Expands With Line of Native-Made Frozen Meals – Westword

Oweesta Corporation

The Christensen Fund has also committed a $1,000,000 PRI to Oweesta, a corporation committed to investing in Native Sovereignty, to further their leadership and support for Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI.)

Oweesta Corporation, whose name is derived for the Mohawk word for “money,” is the longest standing Native CDFI intermediary offering financial products and development services exclusively to Native CDFIs and Native communities, thereby providing opportunities for Native people to develop financial assets and to create wealth. For over 20 years, Oweesta has provided the tools, training, and capital to help Native people control their economic destinies.

Native CDFIs like Oweesta directly provide Native American communities the tools and capital support required for real and sustainable job creation, small business development, commercial real estate development, and affordable housing/home ownership, while also offering basic banking services and financial literacy training to “underbanked” Native American communities who have been historically targeted by predatory lending practices. In their 20+ years in existence, Oweesta has many success stories and The Christensen Fund is proud to support their monumental work for Indigenous enterprises, communities and individuals.

Get to know more about Oweesta and their current projects here: https://www.oweesta.org/

Impact Charitable

Both of these groundbreaking PRIs were set up in collaboration with Impact Charitable, which exists to unite catalytic philanthropists, community partners, financial institutions, foundations, social enterprises, and governmental bodies. Impact Charitable helps close the gaps between the sources of impact-first capital and communities, ventures, and funds who have traditionally faced systemic barriers to accessing critical financial resources. This collaboration with Impact Charitable makes it easy for people to invest alongside us.

If you are interested in joining us in these investments, contact: cindy@impactcharitable.org

In the news:

Impact Charitable Announcement of Oweesta PRI

Purpose Aligned Capital

As part of the Purpose Aligned Capital plan, The Christensen Fund established a Purpose-Aligned Investment portfolio seeking to catalyze Indigenous-focused investment opportunities and enhance the impact of The Christensen Fund’s endowed assets. Purpose-Aligned Investments have a dual objective: to further The Christensen Fund’s purpose of supporting Indigenous peoples in advancing their inherent rights, dignity, and self-determination, while also meeting the investment objectives for the endowment to sustain The Christensen Fund’s grand making and operations.

Together with its outsourced investment office Global Endowment Management (GEM,) The Christensen Fund developed a framework for assessing the Purpose-alignment of any investment opportunity. The framework consists of three factors — Indigenous leadership, demonstrated engagement with Indigenous communities, and integration of an Indigenous lens in the investment process — and created a shared language for understanding Purpose-alignment in an investment context.

The Christensen Fund made its first two Purpose-Aligned Investments at the end of 2023 in TAHITO and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners.

TAHITO is an Indigenous-led long-only public equity fund that incorporates a traditional Maori worldview into the fund’s investment philosophy and selection process. The fund was co-founded by Temuera Hall, a member of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Te Urawa Maori tribes. The investment philosophy centers on the Maori view of the connection and interdependence of all things. Maori ethics put people and the environment first as fundamental to any thriving community. The fund invests in Australian and New Zealand public equities and has a detailed ethical process that includes both positive and negative screens, supporting alignment with The Christensen Fund’s values and purpose.

Raven Indigenous Capital Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm led by two Indigenous partners. The Christensen Fund committed to Raven’s Opportunities Fund I, which is deploying additional capital into some of Raven’s highest conviction portfolio companies in their first fund, which closed at the beginning of 2023. Raven’s brand with Indigenous entrepreneurs is unmatched and their focus on supporting Indigenous-led businesses has resulted in ~70% of its portfolio companies having majority Indigenous ownership.

by Stephanie Walker