Prince Albert Deputy Police Chief Jason Stonechild holds the Eagle Feather gifted to him by the P.A. Grand Council's Women's Commission. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

a sacred gift

Police Deputy Chief honoured for service and commitment

Oct 22, 2019 | 5:00 PM

As a near three-decade veteran of the Police Albert Police Service (PAPS), Deputy Chief Jason Stonechild has seen enough to know certain issues are just not getting any better. That has in no way diminished his resolve to help the healing that is needed among some of his fellow-Indigenous community.

He received a sacred and positive emblem to carry on what he sees as his journey of responsibility. On Monday night Stonechild was honoured by the Prince Albert Grand Council’s Women’s Commission for his continuing service, leadership, and community spirit. His commitment to addressing issues related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is also being applauded.

Members of the PAGC Women’s Commission with PAPS Deputy Chief Jason Stonechild, PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte, Vice Chief Joseph Tsannie, Vice Chief Christopher Jobb, and Elder Jacob Sanderson. (submitted photo/ PAGC)

“A lot of the issues facing Indigenous people are not related to culture but to historic tragedies that have happened,” he told paNOW. “That’s led to a lot of our young people to suffer from addictions and suffering from poverty, and there’s a lot of challenges that we have to overcome to try to correct that.”

Stonechild said part of his leadership style and one that PAPS subscribed to was the community-based approach and a move away from the historic “arrest and incarceration of problems.”

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He stressed his officers had an understanding of the complexities of the underlying issues and “get it.”

“I think compassion to understand others’ perspectives is really important for everybody to have in order to help the healing occur, not only from non-Indigenous people but from Indigenous people as well,” he said. “Once we achieve that, we can start working towards a good process of healing.”

Stonechild said crime evolved in the city over his many years of service and there were social and safety issues that had not gotten any better.

“I’ve been policing in this community for 26 years and through my maturity and evolving as an officer I really want to help the community to be safe and well,” he said.

In acknowledging the honour bestowed on Prince Albert’s second most highly-ranked officer, Shirley Henderson, the chair of the PAGC Women’s Commission said Stonechild’s dedication to ensuring the safe future for Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people was crucial.

“At one point no one really discussed the issues but now it’s out in the open,” she said. “We’ve had as many as 300 people on our annual Missing Brothers and Sisters Walk that’s going on 16 years now, and that shows that there is concern in the city of Prince Albert.”

With files from Nigel Maxwell

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow