Melting Tallow officially BTPS chief

FIRST BLACKFOOT CONFEDERACY MEMBER TO LEAD POLICE SERVICE IN 30 YEARS

Kyle Melting Tallow has become the first member of the Blackfoot Confederacy to lead the Blood Tribe Police Service in 30 years with his official appointment by the Blood Tribe Police Commission as police chief.

Melting Tallow was confirmed in his new role with a special ceremony at the Kainai Powwow on Saturday. Elder Martin Eagle Child conferred special honour on Melting Tallow by granting him his first eaglefeather headdress during the ceremony. The headdress is a sign of honour and leadership among the Blackfoot, and can only be transferred to the recipient from one who has been granted a headdress before. Eagle Child, assisted by Charlene Plume, also painted Melting Tallow’s face and arms with the traditional warrior’s orange ochre colour prior to transferring the headdress.

Blood Tribe Police Commission chair Mary Fox presented Chief Melting Tallow with his official BTPS chief-of-police badge to cap off the confirmation ceremony. Melting Tallow then walked with Plume and Eagle Child around the drum circle to all corners to be blessed and present himself to the people as their new police chief. The ceremony concluded with a Praise Song and Honour Dance for Melting Tallow.

Melting Tallow, who grew up on the Siksika First Nation, said he was humbled and honoured to accept the commission to lead the Blood Tribe Police Service in this challenging time for his people.

“Being from the Blackfoot Confederacy, it’s very important for us to have good role models,” he said.

“I am really happy to be one of those role models for youth in our community, because we are faced with a lot of challenges, both in the youth community and community at large. Here, particularly, we are challenged with opioids and various other prescription drugs and alcohol. We are on top of it, and we are trying to be proactive in those areas, but there are times we have to simply react to the issue.”

Melting Tallow said good partnerships and a complete community effort are the key to dealing with the opioid and other drug problems amongst the Blackfoot peoples of southern Alberta.

“We are trying to respond to the need to ensure our communities are safe,” he said. “We’re partnering up with a lot of different agencies. We have partnerships with the Calgary Police, Lethbridge Police, Taber Police, the Sheriffs, the RCMP and within the different levels of our own community. Those partnerships are really key to spreading knowledge and sharing information, and really partnering up for the good of all our communities.”

Melting Tallow had been acting chief of police with the BTPS for the past two years prior to his official appointment Saturday.

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