A photo taken in Oct. 2019 of former Deputy Police Chief Jason Stonechild with representatives from Prince Albert Grand Council Executive as well as the PAGC Women's Commission. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Strong partnerships

Big shoes to fill: local Indigenous leaders respond to Deputy Chief’s resignation

Dec 11, 2020 | 2:09 PM

Just days after news that Jason Stonechild has resigned from the Prince Albert Police Service, the discussion now turns to who will replace him. A number of voices from Prince Albert’s Indigenous community are calling on the city to make a considered and responsible choice.

In a statement provided to the media, PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said it will be difficult to replace someone who has spent his entire career with this police service and cultivated such deep ties to the people and community of Prince Albert.

“He has served as a key liaison in strengthening our relationship with the PAPS, and we can only hope that the next person in charge will be able to understand the complex issues facing our Indigenous people with the same level of compassion, understanding, and respect,” Hardlotte said.

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)

Stonechild, a Cree-Saulteaux member of Muskowpetung First Nation, worked for the PAPS since 1993, serving in roles from staff sergeant to inspector to deputy chief. He has also served as vice-president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police, president of the Prince Albert Police Association, and as a member of the special committee for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) that centers on Policing with Indigenous People.

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When considering Stonechild’s replacement, Prince Albert Grand Council is calling on the new city council to ensure that diversity and inclusivity are priorities at the management level of this police service.

“This much is expected and necessary for a path toward true reconciliation and much-needed reform,” Hardlotte said.

Stonechild assists with the MMIWG monument sod turning ceremony. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

In addition to his day-to-day roles at the police station, Stonechild also played a leadership role in response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) calls to justice, which involved his efforts to include families in investigations and to share information on their status.

Stonechild was instrumental in ensuring PAGC was more actively involved in emergencies through a Memorandum of Understanding that provided SFNEM with a more formal role in the province’s search and rescue system.

Stonechild also recently served on the PAGC Women’s Commission planning committee for the MMIWG monument, which is set to be unveiled in the spring. In October 2019, the Women’s Commission honoured and gifted him with an eagle feather for his ongoing commitment to protecting Indigenous women and girls. Shirley Henderson, Chair of the Women’s Commission, said Stonechild’s departure represents a major loss for the city of Prince Albert.

“Mr. Stonechild understood our concerns but more than anything he cared. He is a man of great integrity, and our Indigenous people have greatly benefitted from his leadership, particularly because of his contributions to the MMIWG,” Henderson said. “I want to thank him for all of his years of public service – there is no doubt that his legacy will be felt by our membership for many years to come.”

On behalf of the Metis people of Prince Albert and Metis Nation-Saskatchewan Western Region 2, Area Director Sherry McLennan told paNOW she concurred with the thoughts expressed by PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.

“I would like also to concur that Jason Stonechild was a role model to many Indigenous people in our community. Jason had a way with his words and his gentle manner. He could always be looked to for guidance and leadership,” she said.

McLennan said she knows wherever Jason goes he will be successful and added the MNS wishes him continued success and best wishes for the future.

“Being an officer in this day and age is hard in itself but being a chief or deputy chief in charge of protecting a city that has major violence, gangs, and especially through a pandemic is heroic. Thank you for your service and for being a great role model. I am proud to call you my friend and Indigenous brother,” she said.

Statement from Police Chief Jon Bergen

“On behalf of the Prince Albert Police Service, I would like to take this opportunity once again to thank Jason Stonechild for his many contributions to our service and his positive work in our community. Each and every member and staff of our police service brings individual strengths to our organization, strengths that we miss when someone makes the choice to retire. This is true in this instance and we remain grateful for the efforts Jason has made over the course of his career to make our police service more representative of the people we serve.

When a member decides to leave our organization, we also observe tremendous growth in others within our police service who take a lead on opportunities and continue to build on these efforts with our community partners and public safety agencies. We value the work that has been done across our organization to promote diversity and inclusion and we will continue to participate in and promote the good work that has been happening that support our own values and reflect the values of the community.

This includes continuing our efforts to meet the Calls for Justice contained in the final report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, continuing to raise awareness about missing and murdered members of our community, providing support to families through our Victims Services Unit, supporting community-led initiatives to provide shelter and housing for vulnerable residents of our community, participating in initiatives that celebrate and support youth in Prince Albert, and strengthening our knowledge and understanding of cultural practices and teachings. As part of our work toward more diversity within the ranks of the Prince Albert Police Service, we also continue to focus on recruiting more Indigenous and Metis women and men to our ranks from within Prince Albert and across northern Saskatchewan.

As a police organization, we are invested in the community and we look forward to continuing to build on our relationships with community leaders and organizations that are working to support residents through positive initiatives and help for those affected by violence, poverty, addictions, mental health crises, and lack of suitable housing.

We know the professional members of our Prince Albert Police Service will continue to be leaders within our organization, and will continue to engage and participate in our community in an informed and meaningful way that builds on the good work that has been done. We are proud of the achievements our organization has made within our community over the years thanks to the efforts of both past and present members and staff, and we will continue to work to build positive relationships with residents, community leaders, advocacy groups, business owners, seniors and local volunteers as we move forward.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell