Jerry Fontaine facts for kids

Jerry Fontaine is an Anishinaabe leader and politician from Manitoba, Canada. He served as the chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation, a First Nations community, for many years. He also led a political party called the First Peoples Party and later ran to be the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party. From 2004 to 2008, he worked at Algoma University as the director of Indigenous Initiatives. Jerry Fontaine is also the nephew of Assembly of First Nations leader Phil Fontaine.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Jerry Fontaine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1976. He first entered politics in 1986. He ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party in the 1986 Manitoba general election for the area of Lac du Bonnet. At that time, the Liberal Party was not very strong in Manitoba. Fontaine received 959 votes. He was not elected, and Clarence Baker won the election.

Leading the Sagkeeng First Nation

Three years later, in 1989, Jerry Fontaine became the chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation. He led his community until 1998. During his time as chief, Sagkeeng created its own special rules, like a constitution. This helped the community work with Manitoba Hydro. It also helped them protect their land from damage caused by Hydro projects. The community also passed important laws about their land and resources.

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

Starting the First Peoples Party

Later in 1994, Fontaine became a main spokesperson for the First Peoples Party (FPP) in Manitoba. This new party was created after a meeting of Manitoba chiefs in 1993. They wanted a political party that focused on issues important to Indigenous peoples.

The FPP believed that all Indigenous peoples in Canada have a right to govern themselves. They felt that the main political parties were not listening to Indigenous concerns. Jerry Fontaine made it clear that the FPP was open to all people in Manitoba, not just those of Indigenous background.

The party had three candidates in the 1995 Manitoba general election. None of them won. Jerry Fontaine ran in the large northern area called Rupertsland. He received 541 votes and finished in fourth place. After this election, the First Peoples Party stopped existing.

In 1998, a news report looked into another Indigenous-focused party called Independent Native Voice (INV). It was suggested that this party was set up by Progressive Conservative Party organizers. The goal was to take votes away from the New Democratic Party. A judge later found that these organizers had encouraged at least one candidate to run. The First Peoples Party was not involved in this issue. Jerry Fontaine said that a candidate from INV had told him that Conservative organizers gave him money.

Running for Liberal Party Leader

After the First Peoples Party ended, Jerry Fontaine rejoined the Manitoba Liberal Party. In 1998, he decided to run for the party's leadership. He was 42 years old at the time. His campaign gained support from other political figures. Fontaine stated that 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. However, he lost to former Member of Parliament Jon Gerrard. Gerrard received 1336 votes, while Fontaine received 832 votes. This was decided by a mail-in vote open to all party members. Jerry Fontaine did not run in the 1999 Manitoba general election.

Challenges and Later Work

During his leadership campaign in 1998, Jerry Fontaine faced a lawsuit from Wing Construction Limited. This company had a contract to build a school in Sagkeeng. Wing Construction claimed that the Sagkeeng council had not paid them as promised. The company said it lost a lot of money. The Canadian government later found that the contract was not properly approved. Wing Construction went out of business in 2000. Fontaine called the lawsuit against him "frivolous," meaning it was not serious. He also said the company had claimed their work was worth more than it was.

Around the same time, some members of the Sagkeeng First Nation complained about housing conditions. 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 as chief.

From 1998 to 2003, Fontaine worked as 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, such as Brokenhead, Long Plain, Peguis, Roseau River, Sagkeeng, Sandy Bay and Swan Lake. Treaty 1 was signed on August 3, 1871.

In 2005, Fontaine advised AFN leader Phil Fontaine. He also worked to promote 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 serve as its president in 2006. Jerry Fontaine also worked at Algoma University as the Director of Indigenous Initiatives. While there, he also taught classes at Algoma University, Laurentian University, and Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig.

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

He has also written books. In 2020, he published "Our Hearts Are as One Fire." This book focused on the leadership of Pontiac, Tecumseh, and Shingwauk, and the Three Fires Confederacy. In 2022, he co-authored "Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves): Embodying Objibway-Anishinabe Ways" with Don McCaskill. This book is about Indigenous self-determination and bringing Indigenous ways into universities.

Electoral History

Jerry Fontaine has run in several elections. He was elected Chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997.