Native Youth Touring Ottawa With RCMP Officers

Wednesday, May 09, 2007 at 13:38

 

 

Twelve First Nations students from the Battlefords area are getting the opportunity of a lifetime this week.

 

The youth and three Mounties are on a trip to Ottawa as part of a unique partnership to improve relations between Aboriginal people and the RCMP.

 

The students are scheduled to go on various tours and meet Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine and RCMP Commissioner Bev Dussion.

 

Battlefords Victim Services co-ordinator Tanya Delorme has been organizing the trip.

 

Delorme says it is part of a project called “Kids and the Mounties” that was developed after a meeting between local RCMP and First Nations last year.

 

She says the students that got to go on the trip not only had great marks and good school attendance — they also did a lot of work promoting good relations with police through posters, essays and oral presentations.

 

Delorme notes another goal of this initiative is to identify role models within First Nations communities.