Our Story
Cree Nation of Chisasibi (Fort George, James Bay, 1873)
The story of the JLF is a story about settler and Indigenous Canada, the tensions and struggles of that relationship, and the ties that bind that relationship together. We begin with what we can learn from Indigenous nations about what it means to give, share, invest, and mobilize resources to strengthen communities and advance collective well-being. This is Indigenous philanthropy and it reflects the values of what we strive to be as a charitable foundation in Canada in the 21st century; a trust and relationship-based approach to philanthropy that values community responsibility, reciprocity, and collective well-being.
For the JLF this is particularly important because the money entrusted to our founder, Marianne Larsen, to “do good with'“ largely came from the Crees of Chisasibi (the MIghty River) who lived on the island of Fort George, and along the rivers and lakes surrounding southeastern James Bay for thousands of years. Their traditional way of life was defined by a deep ancestral connection to the land they fished, hunted and lived on.
The Cree system of stewarding the land shifted when the Europeans arrived in the 17th century. Settler colonialism had deep and lasting negative impacts on the Cree nation leaving the land and water depleted of living creatures; and families uprooted from their homes and lands. Poverty and starvation ensued. Within this context, Rose Sam Atkinson was born in 1926 on a trap line along the Mighty River. Due to the intolerable conditions her people faced, her parents were forced to put her into the residential institution on Fort George whose long, dark shadow continues to haunt Canada and Indigenous Peoples today.
As an ambitious teenager, Rose moved south to Toronto to seek opportunity, and there she met Boje Johansen, a newly arrived immigrant from Denmark. They collaborated, made money, and then Rose returned to Fort George and established a store. With Boje’s assistance, Rose ran her store, selling everything her community wanted and needed. As one of her customers said, “The reason why Rose’s Store is a big success is because Rose is Indian and knows what the Indians needs.” Rose and Boje never married because the colonial Indian Act specified that if an Indian woman married a non-Indian man, she would lose her Indian status. They remained friends and business partners for over 40 years. Over those years they spent time both apart and together in Fort George, Toronto, Burlington, Florida and Denmark. Like settler-Indigenous relations in Canada at large they were bound together in relationship that embodied both love and conflict.
Rose Atkinson in her store, Fort George, pictured left.
Bent and Susan Larsen’s (Marianne’s parents) friendship with Rose and Boje went back to the 1960s. Rose passed in 2004 and Boje in 2007. Before Boje passed, he gave his money to Marianne Larsen and told her to do something good with it. Marianne established the JLF to honour Boje’s wishes and life-long relationship with Rose. Reconciliation and reciprocity are guiding values for the JLF. For us, reconciliation means establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and settler peoples in Canada; and centering Indigenous knowledges, leadership, and self-determination. As signatories of the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action we commit to using our resources and leadership in service to Reconciliation.
From left to right, Boje Johansen, Susan Larsen (with son Allan in lap), and daughter Marianne beside Rose Sam Atkinson. c. 1966.
Our Board
The first board consisted of Marianne Larsen, Susan and Bent Larsen, Ian Esquivel, Dennis Bonney and Bev Dalys. Our first board meeting was in April 2009.
Our first grants were disbursed to qualified donees in 2009.
Every year since then the JLF has provided funding to charitable organizations to provide educational programming that meets the mandate of our Foundation.
Marianne and Susan Larsen, presenting a cheque to the Children’s Health Foundation pictured left.