Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (she/her) is a Dënesųłiné woman (ts’ékui), member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and mother of two. She comes from a family of Indigenous rights advocates fighting for the recognition, sovereignty and autonomy of their Indigenous lands and territory in what is now known as Treaty 8, Canada.
With local Indigenous organizers, Eriel worked to build out the foundations of Indigenous Climate Action. She formally stepped into the role of Executive Director of the organization in July of 2017.
Prior to co-founding Indigenous Climate Action, Deranger worked with her First Nation to build out the international Indigenous Tar Sands campaign. Challenging the expansion of Alberta’s Tar Sands, it was one of the largest intersectional “keep it in the ground” campaigns. As part of her role she brought international recognition to issues in her territory with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Darren Aronofsky, Neil Young, Daryl Hannah, James Cameron and many others.
Eriel Tchekwie Deranger has written for the Guardian, Yellowhead Institute, The National Observer and Red Pepper Magazine. She been featured in documentary films including Elemental (2012), and interviewed for national and international media outlets including Democracy Now!, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and CBC.
