Stewart Phillip

Stewart Phillip is an Okanagan Aboriginal leader who has served as President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Being a chief of the Penticton in British Columbia, he has advocated for Aboriginal rights for the First Nations in that province and particularly in the Okanagan region.[1]

In 2002, Phillip drew media attention when he successfully forced a film project about the Aboriginal legend of the Ogopogo to be renamed Mee-Shee: The Water Giant. He did this by claiming that "It's an international concern among indigenous people about the exploitation of spiritual entities... for commercial purposes."[2]

The Fraser Institute, a free market think tank, has criticized Phillip, calling him a "well-known militant." In 2005, Phillip cooperated on a British Columbia budget that included more money for Aboriginals.[3]

References

  1. ^ Government of British Columbia, "The New Relationship with Aboriginal People," URL accessed 11 January 2007.
  2. ^ Joseph Brean, "Natives in two nations spear the elusive Ogopogo: Moviemakers give in to demands," National Post, Don Mills, Ontario, March 8, 2002, p. A.1.FRO.
  3. ^ Dr. Michael Walker, "A Generation Abandoned: B.C. Native Leaders’ Latest $100 million is Meaningless Unless it’s Spent on their Children’s Education," The Fraser Institute, 23 September 2005, URL accessed 11 January 2007.