Gwen Phillips

Gwen Phillips is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation and is a resident of the St. Mary’s Indian Reserve near Cranbrook. Gwen has roots in the Tobacco Plains community near Grasmere that also extends into the Kootenai Tribe on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. With formal training in business administration, Gwen has worked for her nation for the past 29 years, primarily within the social sector as Director of Education, Director of Health, and Director of Traditional Knowledge and Language. She is currently Director of Corporate Services and Governance Transition within the Ktunaxa Nation. In this role, she is responsible for guiding the Nation’s transition back to self-governance. This includes all aspects of governance, including acquiring the competency, capacity, tools and instruments required to effectively implement the Nation’s governance and operational models. Gwen has represented the Ktunaxa Nation on numerous boards and committees locally, regionally and nationally, and is currently part of a Canadian federal government working group designed to improve performance measurements and reduce the reporting burdens associated with federal investments in First Nations communities. She is also a member of the First Nations Health Council, the group responsible for negotiating the takeover of Health Canada programs and services for First Nations people in British Columbia. Gwen is a mother of four, a grandmother of one, a singer/songwriter, a performing artist, a builder, and a practicing visual artist, utilizing a variety of media, both traditional and contemporary.