Phil Fontaine

Yesterday, I went and saw Phil Fontaine speak at Thompson Rivers University as part of the student union’s Common Voices lecture series. He has three terms as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and has been an active voice in First Nations politics since he was elected as the chief of his band, Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, at 28. 

About 100 people turned out to hear him speak. Though the room wasn’t full, the audience was engaged and question period went on for nearly two hours. I was pleased to see that the room was a mix of First Nations and non-First Nations people because as Fontaine mentioned, the conversation needs to involve more than just First Nations people if it is to be successful.

Fontaine spoke largely about the history of First Nations people in Canada with a focus on the effects of residential schools and then moving towards the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that he was influential in the creation of.  Most of what he was saying was not new to me, but it is always interesting to hear how issues are framed to a mixed background crowd. I felt that he was diplomatic in his approach, but still honest about the effects that colonization and its actions had had on First Nations people.

I had a chance to ask him about the role that he thought self-government plays in how First Nations people see themselves. He said that self-determination is key if First Nations people are to move forward and he believes it is the right of all people to be able to self-govern.

 I plan to have some quotes from his talk up at a later time, but I am going away for the next week and a half so it may only be in the beginning of March that I am able to post those quotes. 

Another benefit of going to this lecture was that I was able to connect with some interesting and engaged First Nations people in the Kamloops area who agreed to speak with me. I will keep you posted on that progress as it develops.