Flicker Fund
The Flicker Fund provides pandemic relief, wildfire response, and is designed for emergency response.
The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples resides in the heart of the ancient redwoods, along the Pacific coast in Wiyot Territory. One native bird that bears cultural and spiritual significance to local Native Peoples of this region, and throughout the Indigenous World, is the flicker. It is a medicine bird; flicker feathers are often a part of ceremonies, and help make good medicine and bring healing. Their flight patterns also represent agility and the color and swiftness of a flame.
Embodying the fast flight and power of a flicker, our Flicker Fund was created as a way to rapidly respond to stressed Indigenous communities on the frontlines of COVID-19. The Fund launched within days of learning about the pervasiveness of the virus and its impact on Indigenous communities.
As every corner of the world has been shaken by these extraordinary times, the Indigenous World has been notably impacted. Ongoing colonial issues already affecting Indigenous communities at alarming rates are only intensified by this global health crisis. Flicker Fund grantees especially demonstrate culturally grounded, innovative and creative strategies of response during this pandemic; strategies our organization has the honor to learn from and support. All supported projects we partner have direct accountability to those they serve. Each has at least 80% Indigenous leadership, and emerge from and operate by and for their communities.
The Flicker Fund directs support to projects representing one or more of the following:
- Support basic and urgent health and wellness needs of the most vulnerable with a focus on elders, multi-generational households and families with children under the age of five years old.
- Engage with traditional healing practices and remedies, food systems and immune support.
- Amplify historic and cultural teachings, stories and lifeways that advance traditional knowledge systems informing community members on health, healing and moving forward with vitality.
Mobilize resources for crisis-impacted Indigenous communities throughout the world.