Brother Phil, Hereditary Chief Phil Lane, Jr. is a member of Yankton Sioux Tribe and Chickasaw Nation. For over 50 years, Phil has dedicated himself to working with Indigenous peoples from across the Americas, South East Asia, India, the Pacific and Africa to in human, community, and economic development with a unique focus on the importance of culture and spirituality in all dimensions of development. In 1982, with elders from across North America, Phil co-founded the Four Worlds International Institute (FWII) — an organization that transcends assimilation, resignation and conflict by building partnerships with all nations and peoples. Thanks to Phil’s leadership, FWII is deeply contributing to the unification of the human family by co-creating community-based, culturally-respectful, principle-centered strategies and programming.

In 1992, Phil was the first Indigenous person to win the prestigious Windstar Award, for being “a global citizen whose life exemplifies commitment to a global perspective, operates with awareness of the spiritual dimension of human existence and demonstrates concrete actions of the benefit for humans and all living systems of the Earth.” In 2000, he received the International Award for Freedom and Human Rights from the Foundation for Freedom and Human Rights in Berne, Switzerland. Chief Phil Lane, Jr. served 16 years as Associate Professor in Indigenous Education at the University of Lethbridge, is an award-winning author and film producer, and holds Masters degrees in education and public administration.