OTTAWA, ON – The National Indian Brotherhood (NIB) Trust Fund today announced that Mr. Keith Martell has been appointed as the new Trust Fund Chair. Mr. Martell was officially appointed on Sunday, November 19, 2017, at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Executive Committee in Ottawa. Mr. Martell has long-standing experience in the business world and is currently a Director and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Bank of Canada.
AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde said: “On behalf of the AFN Executive Committee, I welcome Mr. Martell in this new position as NIB Trust Fund Chair. We are pleased to welcome someone with the depth of experience and knowledge needed to continue the important, successful work of the NIB Trust Fund. We also want to lift up and thank outgoing NIB Trust Fund Chair Phil Fontaine for his dedication and work in overseeing the Fund since December 2015. Mr. Fontaine was instrumental in achieving the landmark Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement that led to the establishment of the Fund. The NIB Trust Fund is an important legacy on behalf of all residential schools survivors for future generations.”
Mr. Martell graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1985 with a Bachelor of Commerce and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the same institution in 2016. After 10 years with KPMG, he served the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (“FSIN”) as the Executive Director of Finance and Fiscal Relations from 1995 to 2000. Mr. Martell is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM). He is also a Director of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. and River Cree Enterprises GP Ltd. He is a trustee of the Primrose Lake Settlement Trust. He is a member of the Waterhen Lake First Nation and currently resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Mr. Keith Martell said: “I am proud to have been appointed to this important position and I look forward to working with the other Trustees in furthering the objectives of the NIB Trust Fund. With many of my family members having attended residential school, it has always been my objective to see how I could help and give back to those who have gone thru this difficult experience. Achieving justice and opportunity for survivors and their families will continue to be the main objective of the NIB Trust and will also guide my work with the Trust.”
The NIB Trust Fund allocates funds in accordance with the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest settlement agreement in Canadian history. The settlement agreement provided compensation to survivors for their experiences at residential schools. Funds are available to First Nation and Métis individuals, governments and organizations through a competitive application process.