Joan Phillip, the NDP MLA representing Vancouver-Strathcona and spouse of Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, has passed away. The UBCIC announced that Phillip, also known as Amshen, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday afternoon. She was 74 years old. Although the precise cause of her death was not disclosed, the UBCIC suggested donating to the B.C. Cancer Society instead of sending flowers.
“B.C. lost a formidable and esteemed leader with the passing of Joan Amshen Phillip today,” stated B.C. Premier David Eby in a written message. Eby expressed that the NDP caucus and staff are mourning alongside Phillip’s family.
Earlier this year, Eby mentioned that Phillip was seriously ill, and her colleagues were all offering prayers for her recovery. He praised Phillip as a highly respected member of numerous communities and a cherished colleague across party lines in the legislature.
Phillip, an influential Indigenous leader, was recognized by Eby as a key factor in the NDP’s decision to reconsider suspending portions of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). She was initially elected in a 2023 Vancouver byelection and subsequently won in the following year’s general election.
Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, commended Phillip for her principled stand against the B.C. NDP caucus on the issue of repealing DRIPA. Sayers acknowledged Phillip’s nationwide impact and her relentless pursuit of the best solutions for First Nations and Indigenous people in Canada.
Tributes flooded social media platforms, celebrating Phillip’s legacy as a politician, advocate, and compassionate individual. Melanie Mark, former MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, highlighted Phillip’s commitment to engaging with the people she represented and her advocacy on critical issues like the crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in B.C.
Phillip’s lineage includes being the granddaughter of Chief Dan George, a Tsleil-Waututh actor, poet, and public speaker. As an MLA, she served as the parliamentary secretary for community development and non-profits. Before entering politics, Phillip worked as a youth counsellor at Britannia Secondary School and as the education and program director at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
Robert Phillips, political executive with the First Nations Summit, emphasized that Phillip’s community investments transcended politics. He praised her as a warrior and advocate who stood firm in her convictions, even when facing opposition within her party.
Phillip’s tenure included serving as a councillor and lands manager for the Penticton Indian Band, of which she was a member. Despite unsuccessful federal bids with the NDP in 2019 and 2021, Phillip leaves behind five children, 15 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, according to her legislative profile and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
