Bold, tenacious, solution-oriented and forward-looking, Phil Fontaine is an articulate advocate for the future of Canada and for our indigenous peoples. Known for his calm and confident demeanor, he has a proven track record of opening the lines of communication and bringing people together in a common cause for a better future and to resolve issues of the past. Fontaine’s proven ability to inform, inspire, demonstrate leadership, and build consensus makes him a highly sought-after expert.

Fontaine, the youngest son in an Ojibway family of 12 children, has been instrumental in facilitating change and advancement for First Nations people from the time he was first elected to public office as chief, when he was only 28 years old. Today, First Nations people are now the fastest growing demographic segment in Canada.

An advocate for human rights, and a survivor of residential school abuse, Fontaine’s crowning achievement to date is the residential schools settlement. At $5.6billion in individual compensation, Fontaine negotiated the largest settlement in Canadian history – for the largest human rights violation in Canadian history – arising out of the 150-year Indian residential school tragedy.