Lord, we thank you for Nahanni Fontaine, an esteemed First Nations leader who serves as the House Leader of the Official Opposition as well as critic for Justice. Thank you for her faithful service to the riding of St. Johns since 2016. We thank you for giving her a voice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls. We ask that you would continue to stir within her a strong desire to see justice done in her community. Draw her close to you, oh Lord! Surround her with wise counsellors. Bless her and her family! Amen.
As a young girl and teen, Nahanni Fontaine made Winnipeg’s North End her home. Since then she has since spent much of her political activism and career strengthening the voices of Indigenous women and girls. Before entering politics, Nahanni worked as Special Advisor on Aboriginal Women’s Issues for the Indigenous Issues Committee of Cabinet of Manitoba, with a special focus on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). She also worked as an Environmental Researcher for Sagkeeng First Nation and taught in the Native Studies department at the University of Manitoba. Nationally, her work has been at the forefront of raising awareness on MMIWG, while locally, she has coordinated an unprecedented network of advocacy and support for MMIWG families. For this work, she was honoured with the Governor-General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case in 2013.