Phillip to serve eighth term as UBCIC leader

Stewart Phillip will remain as president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs for at least another three years.

The former chief of the Penticton Indian Band was acclaimed to an eighth term as leader of the group, amounting to 21 years.

“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,” said Phillip in a news release. “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.”

The UBCIC is praising Phillip for his integrity, perseverance, and leadership he has demonstrated and inspired in others during his tenure 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,”said the organization.