First Peoples Party facts for kids

The First Peoples Party (FPP) was a political party in Manitoba, Canada, that existed for a short time. It focused on issues important to Indigenous peoples.

History of the First Peoples Party

The idea for the FPP came from a meeting of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in 1993. They wanted a political party to focus on issues affecting Indigenous communities. The party officially started in November 1994.

In the 1995 provincial election, the FPP had three candidates. The party was not officially registered with Elections Manitoba, so its candidates ran as independent politicians.

The FPP believed that all Indigenous peoples in Canada have a natural right to govern themselves. They felt that the main political parties were not paying enough attention to Indigenous concerns. The party also cared about protecting the environment and making sure development was sustainable.

Jerry Fontaine was seen as the party's leader. He had been a candidate for the Liberal Party before. Fontaine made it clear that the FPP was open to everyone in Manitoba, not just those of Indigenous background.

Not everyone in Manitoba's Indigenous community agreed with creating the FPP. George Hickes, an Inuit politician from the New Democratic Party (NDP), thought an Indigenous-only party might not work well in Canada's election system. He argued that elected politicians need to represent all kinds of people in their area. He mentioned his own area, Point Douglas, which had people from many different backgrounds.

The FPP did not win any seats in the election. Jerry Fontaine ran a strong campaign in the large northern area of Rupertsland. He finished fourth with 541 votes. Una Truscott received 262 votes in Winnipeg's Broadway area. Lyle Morrisseau received 105 votes in the nearby Point Douglas area. The NDP won all three of these areas.

During the election campaign, two candidates from another party, called Independent Native Voice, joined the FPP. These were Nelson Contois and his daughter Carey Contois. Years later, there were claims that organizers from the Progressive Conservative Party had supported the Contois candidacies. This was supposedly to divide votes away from the NDP. The FPP itself was not involved in this issue.

The First Peoples Party stopped existing after the 1995 election. Jerry Fontaine later rejoined the Liberals. He ran for the leadership of that party in 1998 but lost to Jon Gerrard.

Later, other parties with similar names were formed. In 2000, a separate First Peoples Party started in British Columbia. It was later renamed the All Nations Party of British Columbia. A national party, the First Peoples National Party of Canada, was created in 2005, partly inspired by the FPP.

Election Results Summary

Here's how the First Peoples Party did in the 1995 election:

If we include the two candidates who joined from the Independent Native Voice party, the numbers change slightly:

Key FPP Candidates

Una Truscott (Broadway)

Una Truscott was the first person to become a candidate for the FPP. She was 28 years old and a university student during the election. Her campaign focused on ideas like sustainable development and protecting the environment. She received 262 votes, which was about 4% of the votes in her area. She finished fourth. The winner in Broadway was Conrad Santos from the New Democratic Party.

After the election, Truscott worked in roles that supported Indigenous communities.

Lyle Morrisseau (Point Douglas)

Lyle Morrisseau is a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation. He is also known by his Indigenous name, Kah Kimi Watha Pimi Whata (Day Walker). In the early 1990s, he was part of the student council at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College. He also spoke at a protest against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. Morrisseau supported Indigenous groups in Mexico and pointed out similar challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

In the 1995 election, he received 105 votes, about 2.14% of the votes in his area. He finished fourth against the New Democratic Party candidate, George Hickes. Soon after the election, Morrisseau joined a protest in British Columbia against logging, representing the First Nations Environmental Network.

Morrisseau continued to be involved in environmental issues after 1995. In 1997, he spoke out against burying nuclear waste on Indigenous land.

Jerry Fontaine (Rupertsland)

Jerry Fontaine received 541 votes in the election, which was about 12.22% of the votes in his area. He finished fourth. The winner in Rupertsland was Eric Robinson from the NDP.

See also

• List of political parties in Canada