Jerry Fontaine facts for kids

Jerry Fontaine is an Anishinaabe leader from Manitoba, Canada. He was the chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation from 1989 to 1998. He also led a political party called the First Peoples Party in the 1995 provincial election. Later, he tried to become the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1998. From 2004 to 2008, he worked at Algoma University helping with Indigenous programs.

Jerry Fontaine is the nephew of Phil Fontaine, who was a very important leader for First Nations people across Canada.

Jerry Fontaine's Early Career

Jerry Fontaine earned a degree from the University of Manitoba in 1976. His first time running for a political office was in 1986. He ran as a Liberal candidate in the area of Lac du Bonnet. At that time, the Liberal Party was not very strong in Manitoba. Jerry Fontaine received 959 votes. The election was won by Clarence Baker from the New Democratic Party.

Leading the Sagkeeng First Nation

Three years later, Jerry Fontaine became the chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation. He led his community until 1998. As Chief, he helped Sagkeeng create its own important rules and laws. These rules helped the community work with Manitoba Hydro. This agreement helped fix damage caused by Hydro projects. It also helped Sagkeeng protect its traditional lands.

Fontaine supported the right for local communities to have gambling. In 1995, he took action against the Pine Falls pulp mill. He said they were breaking rules about water pollution. In 1994, he stopped being a member of the Liberal Party. This was because the Canadian government, led by Jean Chrétien, made pollution rules less strict near his community.

Later in 1994, Fontaine became a key speaker for the First Peoples Party (FPP) in Manitoba. He was seen as the party's leader, even if he didn't have an official title.

About the First Peoples Party

The FPP was started after a meeting of Manitoba chiefs in 1993. They wanted a political party that focused on issues important to Indigenous peoples. The party believed that all Indigenous peoples in Canada have a right to govern themselves. They felt that other political parties were not listening to Indigenous concerns. Jerry Fontaine made it clear that the FPP was open to everyone in Manitoba, not just Indigenous people.

In the 1995 Manitoba general election, the FPP had three candidates. All of them lost. Jerry Fontaine ran in a large northern area called Rupertsland. He received 541 votes and finished in fourth place. The winner was Eric Robinson, who is also Indigenous. The FPP stopped existing after this election.

In 1998, a news report shared some concerns about another Indigenous-focused party. This party was called Independent Native Voice (INV). It was suggested that organizers from the Progressive Conservative party helped set up INV. They might have done this to take votes away from the New Democratic Party. A judge later found that these organizers did encourage at least one candidate to run. The First Peoples Party was not involved in this situation.

Jerry Fontaine later said that one of the INV candidates told him about getting money from Conservative organizers. Fontaine felt that "the Tories took advantage of Aboriginal individuals." He believed this showed how Indigenous voters are sometimes treated by bigger political parties.

Running for Liberal Leadership

After the FPP ended, Jerry Fontaine rejoined the Manitoba Liberal Party. In 1998, he ran to become the party's new leader. He was 42 years old at the time. His campaign was supported by people like Terry Duguid. Fontaine said he was not just running to make a point. He said his campaign was not only about Indigenous issues.

At first, many thought he would win. But he lost to Jon Gerrard, a former Member of Parliament. Gerrard won with 1336 votes, while Fontaine received 832 votes. The votes were cast by mail by all party members. Jerry Fontaine did not run in the 1999 provincial election.

Concerns About Construction Projects

During his leadership campaign in 1998, Jerry Fontaine faced a lawsuit. A company called Wing Construction Limited sued him for $100,000. This company had a contract to build schools in Sagkeeng. Wing Construction said that the Sagkeeng council did not pay them as promised. They claimed they lost three million dollars.

The Canadian government later found that the Wing contract was not properly approved. The company went bankrupt in 2000. Jerry Fontaine called the lawsuit "frivolous," meaning it wasn't serious. He later said the company had claimed their work was worth more than it was. However, others disagreed. Some felt that the collapse of Wing Construction could make it harder for Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups to work together in Canada.

Also in 1998, some members of the Sagkeeng First Nation had concerns about housing on the reserve. Jerry Fontaine resigned as chief after some protests. He said he needed to focus on the Liberal leadership race. He later defended his financial decisions. He said he was facing "a continued siege by government and media."

Jerry Fontaine's Work Since 1998

From 1998 to 2003, Jerry Fontaine was a Senior Advisor for the Pine Falls Paper Company. He helped the company talk with Anishinaabe Nations. They worked together to create a partnership agreement.

Between 2003 and 2005, Fontaine helped set up the Treaty 1 Protection Office. This office included several Treaty 1 First Nations. These nations were Brokenhead, Long Plain, Peguis, Roseau River, Sagkeeng, Sandy Bay, and Swan Lake. Treaty 1 was signed on August 3, 1871.

In 2005, Jerry Fontaine advised AFN leader Phil Fontaine. He also worked to improve education in Indigenous communities across Canada. He believes that Indigenous communities should control their own post-secondary schools.

In 2005, he was chosen as the temporary president of the First Peoples National Party of Canada. This is a federal party, similar to the FPP. He continued to be the FPNP president in 2006. Fontaine also worked at Algoma University as the Director of Indigenous Initiatives.

While at Algoma University, Fontaine also taught classes. He taught at Algoma University, Laurentian University, and Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig.

Jerry Fontaine has earned several advanced degrees. He received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the European University in Paris, France, in 2000. He earned a Master of Arts (MA) from the University of Manitoba in 2009. He also completed a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.

He has written two books. His first book, "Our Hearts Are as One Fire," was published in 2020. It is about the leadership of Pontiac (1763), Tecumseh (1812), and Shingwauk (1812 & 1850). It also discusses the Three Fires Confederacy. His second book, "Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves): Embodying Objibway-Anishinabe Ways," was published in 2022. He wrote this book with Don McCaskill. It focuses on Indigenous self-determination and bringing Indigenous ways into universities.

Election Results

All election information comes from Elections Manitoba. The money spent refers to what each candidate spent. Jerry Fontaine was elected Chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997.