Phil Fontaine

Former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations 

Bold, tenacious, solution-oriented and forward-looking, Phil Fontaine is an articulate advocate for the future of Canada and for our indigenous peoples. As the former three-term National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, he is a shining example of how strong leadership can work. Phil traveled to Rome on March 30, 2022, to meet privately with the Pope to address the Catholic Church’s role in operating residential schools. While in Rome, he hopes his meeting leads to a papal apology on Indigenous territory during an anticipated Canadian visit, along with a better understanding of the trauma caused by the residential school system, and the release of church records to help identify students who died at the institutions.