Arrest video should spur changes, chief says

SASKATOON The violent arrest of a First Nation chief in Alberta is spurring calls for First Nations-led policing in Saskatchewan.

Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said he was “shocked and disturbed” watching RCMP dashcam video showing the arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam in March.

Adam sustained facial injuries when he was tackled to the ground and punched by an officer during a traffic stop over an expired licence plate. He is charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. The video became public when Adam’s lawyer filed a motion to have the charges dismissed.

Hardlotte said the incident underscores the need for an overhaul of the Canadian legal system.

“We need to be the people, the leaders, (and) the agents of change, especially during this time of turmoil,” he said, pointing to a raft of proposals drafted from a policing symposium PAGC held in November. Hardlotte said the proposals work to address challenges rooted deep in colonialism, systemic racism, and relationships with police.

Meanwhile, there have been some steps toward the long-term goal of self-administered policing. Hardlotte pointed to a promising community safety program, and recent comments on First Nations policing that Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair made on June 9.

That included a commitment to build a new “legislative framework for Indigenous policing across this country,” Blair said.

Those comments were encouraging, but “you got to make those words into action,” Hardlotte said, noting the need for funding and increased cross-cultural training for officers, including study of the treaties.

There may be some further considerations.

Edward “Lennard” Busch, Chief of Police for the File Hills First Nations — the only self-administered police service in the province — said First Nations have a few policing options. They may choose an existing police service like the RCMP, or opt for self-administration. A third option includes having First Nations police officers while a larger service handles administration.

A brand-new police service is a “good option,” but costly, Busch noted, adding that it would likely require a three-way funding between the federal government, the provincial government and the First Nation.

Finally, there could be also a transition period of up to three years while changing to a new police service, he said, noting his team continues to collaborate with neighbouring services.

Busch said the File Hills police department has enjoyed community confidence and accountability. Officers have strong ties to their jurisdiction, the department quickly addresses concerns, and there’s an added mechanism of a police board with an appointee from each of the department’s five band councils and communities.

“People start referring to you as ‘our police service,’ as opposed to ‘the’ police service,” he said. However, he added there is “no quick fix” to these challenges.

“We got to start at home. We got to start in our own hearts.”

The underlying values of creating a police department are also a concern, according to Cree lawyer Don Worme in Saskatoon, who served as commission counsel for the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“If we have replication of the current structure of policing and law enforcement and simply transpose that into Indigenous communities, you’re going to have more of the same,” Worme said.

“The system itself bears the racist tendencies and policies. That is what they were built on. That is what systemic racism is.”

For him, dealing with that challenge in the context of broader policing is the responsibility of citizens and leadership, he said.