PAGC Chief Brian Hardlotte and other Indigenous leaders are calling for a First Nations-led police force after a viral video showing RCMP officers forcefully arresting an Indigenous chief. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

policing

PAGC leadership comments on viral video of chief’s arrest, calls for First Nations-led police force

Jun 12, 2020 | 4:00 PM

Leadership from the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) are speaking out on a viral video showing the violent arrest of an Indigenous chief and are calling for a First Nations-led policing service.

The video, which shows RCMP officers arresting Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta, has come under scrutiny and an internal RCMP investigation on whether excessive force was used. Many Indigenous groups have spoken about the incident, calling for change and alleging the arrest is an example of Canada’s systemic racism in policing, akin to the recent protests against police brutality in the United States.

“We were shocked to see the video of the violent arrest of one of our prominent leaders. We have come a long way in working with the RCMP to establishing positive relationship-based approaches, but this latest incident is yet another indicator that a complete overhaul of the system is a must,” PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said in a statement.

Need for overhaul of system

Hardlotte said that overhaul should create Indigenous police services across Canada and cited a statement from Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair. In a COVID-19 Commons committee meeting, Blair said the federal government will enact laws for “Indigenous policing across the country, one which recognizes and acknowledges the jurisdiction of First Nations, and to ensure that they receive the quality and respectful policing, culturally competent policing that they deserve.”

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“This announcement will help to put our own plans into action. We need to be the agents of change,” Hardlotte said. ” We understand too well that the root causes of crime among our people stem from over five centuries of colonization, oppression, systemic racism, and 100 years of residential schools.”

He added that to reverse these effects it was essential that “we ‘occupy the fields’ in policing, courts and corrections in order to better reflect First Nations’ cultures and contemporary realities and serve our people more justly and fairly.”

Successes already proven

Speaking to paNOW, Hardlotte said there were already examples – in the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Lac La Ronge Indian Band – where community-based programs such as Peacekeepers and Community Safety Officers had proven successful.

“These are models that currently work …they work hand in hand, side-by-side with the RCMP, ” he said.

Noting the current protests about racism and police brutality across North America and the call for body cameras on police officers, Hardlotte said such community-based roles were a significant benefit.

“I can tell you from my experience, these Community Safety Officers also act as a liaison and somewhat as watchdogs when they work with the RCMP,” he explained. However, Hardlotte said assuming control and authority of the current policing systems would require secured on-going funding.

Model options

At a recent First Nations Policing and Indigenous Justice Symposium, members of the PAGC presented a short-term goal to establish a First Nations Police Force in northern Saskatchewan. There are two models of policing considered: The Community Tripartite Agreement which involves the RCMP and currently exists in northern Saskatchewan and the Self-Administered Agreement model which allows Indigenous communities to develop policing services that reflect northern cultures and traditions.

The self-administered model would need to be phased-in with RCMP assistance, the symposium summary says, with high quality training beyond the six-month training period at the RCMP depot in Regina.

PAGC councillors recommended some of that training be offered ‘on the land’ and involve Elders, culture, and community involvement in the training of police officers.

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panews@jpbg.ca