((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver – Grand Chief Stewart Phillip was re-elected by acclamation to President of Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) for another three-year term, a position he has served for the past twenty-one consecutive years.
The UBCIC congratulates Grand Chief Stewart Phillip on his re-election and acknowledges the integrity, perseverance, and leadership that he has demonstrated and inspired in others during his tenor as President. Alongside this presidency and previously serving twenty-four years on the Penticton Indian Band Council, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip has taken on a lifelong active role in advancing and safeguarding inherent Indigenous Title and Rights. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that the actions of Canada and BC are guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the MMIWG Calls for Justice, advanced critical campaigns at provincial and national levels, and taken a stand against projects such as the Trans Mountain Pipeline and Site C Dam that imperil Indigenous sovereignty and the environment.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip stated, “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the honor and privilege to serve as President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs for another term. I am incredibly proud of this organization, which is led by member Nations, and what it represents in providing a strong voice for our people and communities. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Chief Don Tom and Kukpi7 Judy Wilson to advance the work mandated by the Chiefs of the UBCIC, and to ensure that the collective issues confronting our future generations are met with our voices raised, our hands linked, and our spirits unextinguished. Lim Limpt.”
