He brought light and fire to the early people so they would not die. He gave them salmon so they wouldn't starve. In some stories, he even brough water to break a terrible drought. He is a cultural hero. He is also a Trickster.
Raven steals from man, and from other spirits.
He plays jokes on us, and he laughs at mankind's expense. Sometimes his tricks go awry and he ends up the butt of his own joke, but even then, there is humor. A provider and a thief. A hero and a fool. He brought light out of darkness, but he is himself cloaked in midnight black.