PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte, left, and Vice Chief Joseph Tsannie, right, present a gift to lawyer Donald Worme at the PAGC Policing and Justice Symposium Wednesday in Saskatoon (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Indigenous policing

PAGC talk policing and justice

Nov 6, 2019 | 6:13 PM

The Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) is bringing together lawyers, former judges and police officers to talk about First Nations policing and Indigenous justice initiatives.

The three-day PAGC’s First Nations Policing and Indigenous Justice Symposium runs through Thursday in Saskatoon.The conference has brought together people from all across the country and even from as far as the southwestern United States.

PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said in putting on the symposium the grand council is looking to talk about a variety of issues. One of the major ones is First Nation policing, an area in which he said Saskatchewan is running behind other provinces.

“[It’s] not like other provinces, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, where they have their own self-administered policing departments in their First Nations in their community, in Saskatchewan we only have one,” he said.

The one First Nation administered police service is the File Hills First Nations Police Service, which is in the southern part of the province. Representatives from First Nation forces elsewhere in Canada were at the symposium, which Hardlotte said was important given the local goals.

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“Prince Albert Grand Council is talking about self-administered policing,” he said.

Specifically, Hardlotte was looking to hear from First Nations running their own police services, how they got started and the challenges they had to overcome.

Hardlotte added many First Nations communities have issues with policing in terms of their relationship with the RCMP. Two specific issues he brought up were the enforcement of bylaws and RCMP working with leadership in those communities. Hardlotte said there has been progress made between First Nations and the RCMP but added more still needs to be done to bring everyone together.

The Grand Chief said the numbers of Indigenous people who are incarcerated make it clear the system is not working for Indigenous peoples, which makes it all the more important for matters to be discussed.

“That’s why Prince Albert Grand Council felt like it’s important, working with our chiefs and also our Senators,” he said.

paNOW will have more coverage of the key speakers who were part of the symposium.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn