It is with considerable sadness that we share the news that William (Bill) Montour, one of our founding Fulbright Canada Honouring Nations Circle of Advisors, has passed away. Bill is survived by his wife, Pam Montour, many family members and members of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory community. William (Bill) Montour was a member of the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and recently served as the President of Nativelands Community Development, an Indigenous company that assists First Nation communities with financing their specific claims. Bill spent 28 years as a high steel Ironworker and was superintendent on the American Shearson Building in New York City. Since then, Bill has become an advocate and knowledge keeper for Indigenous communities across Canada on various issues, particularly strengthening languages, cultural revitalization, and strong governance practices.
Bill served 14 years as Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River. He worked with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as the Associate Regional Director General in British Columbia and the Regional Director General in Atlantic Provinces. Bill’s career has been constantly focused on the advancement of Indigenous communities, whether it was Chief of Staff at the Assembly of First Nations or the CEO of the National Centre for First Nations Governance. Bill encouraged many First Nations individuals to pursue higher education, particularly at Harvard University.
Bill played a key role in advancing the creation of Honouring Nations Canada through his longstanding relationship with the founding directors of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development back in the late 1990s. Robin McLay, Fulbright Alumni and Harvard graduate, was a close friend of Bill’s for more than 25 years. He stated, “Bill played an important role in supporting Indigenous access to Fulbright Canada scholarship opportunities and helped many Indigenous people in Canada pursue graduate studies at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School.” Robin, Regional Director of Fulbright Canada West, goes on to say that “Bill Montour had a profound impact on the lives of many Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and was driven by his strong values and a conviction that education was a key determinant of social progress, economic prosperity, and reconciliation.”
Fulbright Canada will be working with the Honouring Nations Circle of Advisors to establish a Fulbright Canada award that honours his legacy and lifelong commitment to Indigenous education and Indigenous-led economic development.