Truth and Reconciliation Summit

Phil Fontaine was born at the Sagkeeng First Nation (formerly known as Fort Alexander) in Manitoba, about 150 kilometers north of Winnipeg. His first language is Ojibway.

In his youth he attended a residential school operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate at Sagkeeng. He also attended the Assiniboia Residential School in Winnipeg and he graduated from Powerview Collegiate in 1961.

In 1973, Mr. Fontaine was elected Chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation for two consecutive terms. Upon completion of his mandate, he and his family moved to the Yukon, where he was a Regional Director General with the Federal government.

In 1981 Mr. Fontaine graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. After graduation, he worked for the Southeast Resource Development Council as a Special Advisor, which was followed by his election to the position of Manitoba’s Vice-Chief for the Assembly of First Nations. Mr. Fontaine was one of the Manitoba First Nation leaders instrumental in the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord.

In 1991, he was elected Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and served for an unprecedented three consecutive terms. In 1997, he was elected National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. After one term as National Chief, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission. Mr. Fontaine returned to the Assembly of the First Nations as National Chief, for two more terms, in 2003 and held the post until 2009. Among his many accomplishments as the longest serving National Chief, he will be most remembered for successfully negotiating the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, which included financial settlements for survivors and the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Since September 1, 2009, Mr. Fontaine serves as a Special Advisor to the Royal Bank of Canada. His mandate is to "provide advice and counsel to RBC's Canadian businesses to help the company deepen its relationships with Aboriginal governments, communities and businesses in Canada".

In March 2010, Mr. Fontaine joined Norton Rose OR LLP (formerly Ogilvy Renault) as Senior Advisor and advises Canadian and international clients on First Nations matters, including Aboriginal law, energy, environmental, and mining and resources. Mr. Fontaine is also a special advisor to Trans Canada on matters relating to aboriginal issues as well as serves as director for numerous private and public companies including Chieftain Metals and Avalon Rare Metals.

Mr. Fontaine is owner and President of Ishkonigan Inc., a successful consulting company he founded in 2009 specializing in Aboriginal relations, negotiations, government relations, mediation and advisory services. The national company has offices from Saskatchewan to New Brunswick, and employs over 20 specialized Aboriginal professionals with a diverse and growing client base.

He is a Member of Order of Manitoba and has received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Equitas Human Rights Education Award, the Distinguished Leadership Award from the University of Ottawa, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and most recently was appointed to the Order of Canada. Mr. Fontaine also holds fifteen Honorary Doctorates from Canada and the United States.

Phil Fontaine joined the Board of Directors of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation in November 2014.

Marie Wilson has more than 30 years of professional experience as an award-winning journalist, trainer, and senior executive manager. She has also been a university lecturer, a high school teacher in Africa, a senior executive manager in both federal and territorial Crown Corporations, and an independent contractor and consultant in journalism, program evaluation, and project management. She has lived, studied and worked in cross-cultural environments for almost forty years, including Europe, Africa, and various parts of Canada.

As a journalist, Ms Wilson worked in print, radio and television as a regional and national reporter, and later as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's senior manager for northern Quebec and the three northern Territories. She was the first television program host of northern Canada’s flagship weekly information program, Focus North. Her reports tackled complex issues, from the Quebec sovereignty referendum and national unity debates to the national Constitutional talks of the 1980’s; from the settlement of historic aboriginal rights agreements to the state of health in First Nations and Inuit communities; from Papal visits to centennial celebrations of the Riel Rebellion.

As a Regional Director for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ms Wilson was a pioneer. She launched the first Daily Television News service for northern Canada, against a back-drop of four time zones and ten languages: English, French and eight indigenous. She developed the Arctic Winter Games and True North Concert series, to showcase northern performing artists and traditional indigenous sports for audiences across southern Canada. She fought for the recruitment and development of aboriginal staff and their on-air reflection. She acknowledged staff excellence with the CBC North Awards. She acknowledged the community with program initiatives to support and promote literacy.

A career highlight was to deliver training through the South African Broadcasting Corporation as part of that country’s transition to democracy, and coinciding with the start-up of South Africa’s own Truth and Reconciliation Commission. For several years she served as an associate board member of what was to become APTN , the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Over the years she has worked with various other boards and agencies committed to social justice, journalism and civic engagement, community, spiritual and international development, and the wellbeing of children and youth.

Ms Wilson is the recipient of a CBC North Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Northerner of the Year Award, and various awards and recognitions for journalism, writing excellence, and work-place safety initiatives. In May 2012, she was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree by St. Thomas University of Fredricton, New Brunswick, in recognition of a professional career "marked by public service and social justice." Ms. Wilson speaks English and French, with some knowledge of Spanish and Sahtu Dene. She and her husband, Stephen Kakfwi, are the proud parents of Kyla, Daylyn and Keenan, and are blessed with four grand-children.

Professor Kathleen Mahoney has been a Professor of Law at the University of Calgary since 1991. Having held many international fellowships and lectureships, she has dedicated much of her research, practice, and activism to internationally critical issues in human rights. She has published extensively and appeared as counsel in leading cases in the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also organized and participated in collaborative human rights and judicial education projects in Geneva, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Spain, Israel, China, Vietnam, the United States and the United Nations. She was a founder of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund and a pioneer of the judicial education movement in Canada.

In 2004, Professor Mahoney spearheaded and authored a major research project and Report examining the Canadian government's response to the claims of Aboriginal residential school survivors. This led to her appointment as the Chief Negotiator for the Assembly of First Nations and the subsequent historic settlement agreement with Canada for reparations and a Truth and Reconciliation Process, which is unique in the world.

Among her many awards, Professor Mahoney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and received the Canadian Bar Association Distinguished Service Award in 1997. In 1998, she was made a Fulbright Scholar to pursue her research work at Harvard University and was appointed by the Federal Cabinet to Chair the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development. In 2000, she won the Bertha Wilson Touchstone Award and in 2001, she was awarded the Governor General's medal.

She has law degrees from the University of British Columbia and Cambridge University, and a Diploma from the Institute of Comparative Human Rights Law in Strasbourg, France.

Jeff Horvath is a member of the Ojibways of Onigaming in north¬western Ontario. He is the principal of the Tsuut’ina Nation High School and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Calgary. He is on the National Board of Directors of Outward Bound Canada and is a former instructor and wilderness guide. He lives in Canmore, Alberta and spends his summer paddling, hiking and biking and his winters skiing and skating with his wife, Genevieve and their two children.

Charlene Bearhead is the Education Lead at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.  Bearhead previously served as the Program Manager for the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation, the Education Days Coordinator for the Truth and Recondition Commission of Canada, and the National Coordinator of Project of Heart.  Prior to her time with Project of Heart and the TRC, Bearhead served as a teacher, principal, Education Director, and Superintendent of Education both on and off reserve in Alberta and Manitoba. 

Brian Calliou is a First Nations thought leader. He is Cree from northwestern Alberta, and married with two grown children and three grandchildren. Brian is a lawyer by training and remains connected with the Indigenous Bar Association. He has a strong commitment to social justice and views his work as helping to build a better world. Indigenous Leadership Programming's purpose reflects this commitment by developing leaders who want to make change and create a better world. 

As the Director of Indigenous Leadership and Management, Brian leads a team of very dedicated people who also want to see a better world. He researches and writes about Indigenous community economic development, from a strength-based approach, that is, from a basis of stories of Indigenous organizational success. We call this a wise practices approach to community economic development, where we have identified seven elements that lead to success, including the central importance of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. In our research we have found that culture and identity are important areas that Indigenous leaders want to protect and cultivate as they face contemporary challenges and opportunities. 

Brian is passionate about First Nations control of First Nations education. 

His favourite TED Talk is by Winona LaDuke, Seeds of Our Ancestors, Seeds of Life.

Bill Elliot is the mayor of Wetaskiwin. He has been actively involved in the community as a member of the Recreation and Culture Board, Minor Hockey Executive, Citizens on Patrol, Meals on Wheels, 1993 Summer Games Director, Special Olympics Director, Viking Cup Director, and the Alberta Teachers' Association Executive. He has also coached and refereed football, volleyball, basketball, hockey, and fastball for many years. Bill was born in Lethbridge and raised in Edmonton. After completing high school he married and attended the University of Alberta, graduating with a bachelor's in physical education and a diploma in education. He received his M.Ed at the University of Victoria in 1989. Bill is married to Arlene and they have four children: Rob, Don, Jana, and Michelle. They also have five grandchildren: Stephanie, Curtis, Travis, Jared, and Ethan, and one great-grandchild, Keelyn. Bill retired from his teaching career in June 2004 after 32 years as a teacher and principal.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine is the Medical Lead for Aboriginal Health Program (North Zone), Alberta Health Services and works closely with the Aboriginal Health Program, affiliated Alberta Health Service leaders and North Zone First Nations and Metis communities. His immediate responsibilities include advising resource allocation and utilization, quality assurance and programming. His current projects include diabetes education, North Zone program collaboration and confronting bias in health service delivery. He also works as an anesthesiologist with Alberta Health Services, providing physician services for the major trauma centre for Northern Alberta offering general surgery, orthopaedic, urologic, obstetrical, dental, opthamologic and emergency services. His practice involves community consultation, support services to STARS Emergency Transport and administrative duties related to pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative services.

Very Rev. Dr. Bill Phipps is a retired minister of the United Church of Canada.  He was Moderator (national leader) of the church from 1997-2000. In 1998, he delivered the United Church Apology to the survivors, families, and communities of Indian Residential Schools in which the United Church was involved.  His career has been devoted to social and ecological justice, both as a lawyer and minister. He has represented the church on human rights commitments in Central America, the Philippines, Israel/Palestine, Congo, East Timor, and South Sudan..  He served congregations in Toronto and Calgary.  Bill was a Vice President of Religions for Peace, and has been a strong advocate for interfaith actions for justice and peace. He was co-founder of Faith and the Common,  a multi faith organization dedicated to the common good and eco-justice.  Bill participated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, and is part of “Right Relations” Circles in the United Church.  His current work is dedicated to the "Calls to Action" and to addressing Climate Change.   His book Cause for Hope  is a call for people to act together for the common good. Bill lives in Calgary with his wife, writer Carolyn Pogue. They have children and grandchildren in Yellowknife, Winnipeg, and Toronto.

Originally, from Montreal,  Sarah Garton Stanley now lives between Ottawa and Kingston. She is the Associate Artistic Director of English Theatre and Interim Facilitator for Indigenous Theatre at Canada's National Arts Centre, the artistic director and co-creator of SpiderWebShow, and co-director of Selfconscious Theatre. Stanley co-founded The Baby Grand, in Kingston, co-created Women Making Scenes in Montreal, and Die in Debt Theatre in Toronto, (a company dedicated large canvas site-specific work.) She is a former AD of Buddies in Bad Times. Over a 25-year award winning career, she has directed and been a dramaturge on work from coast to coast and internationally. Stanley curates The Collaborations and leads The Cycle(s) for English Theatre at The NAC. She trained at École Jacques Lecoq in Paris, Vancouver Film School and received her BA and MA from Queens University. She teaches at The National Theatre School and Queen’s. Stanley was recently awarded The Elliot Hayes Award for Dramaturgy for her work on The Cycle focusing on the Indigenous Body of Performance work in Canada.