Leaders from Meadow Lake Tribal Council are raising the alarm over what they say are urgent concerns around public safety in their communities.
The nine member nations of the tribal council held a press conference in Saskatoon on Wednesday.
At the press conference, the chiefs asked for immediate help from both the provincial and federal governments to address policing concerns in their communities.
“The lack of police presence is causing serious injury and death in our communities,” said Tribal Chief Jeremy Norman. “Currently, systemic failures in the colonial model prevent us from achieving the safety levels other communities enjoy.”
Leaders say the level of violence in their communities has increased over the past decade due to gang activity, addictions, mental health, and housing.
While the Tribal Council would like to see a tribal police service in the future, they say immediate supports are needed and they need all levels of government to chip in.
“That is so far away from where we are,” said MLTC Cree Vice-Chief Richard Durocher when speaking on a possible Tribal police service.
Durocher says any supports must be immediate and he says the Tribal Council would need the province to administer police supports while Ottawa would need to provide funding.
“I challenge the provincial government and the federal government to come to the table with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council and deal with these issues,” said Durocher.
According to Durocher, MLTC communities have “lost faith in the RCMP.”
The Cree Vice-Chief did say he plans to speak with the province about the possibility of using the recently established Marshall’s Service to address some of the safety concerns. However, Durocher does say supports also need to get to the root of the issues.
“In order to get to safety you have to heal people,” he said.
Meadow Lake Tribal Council represented 9 First Nations in northern Saskatchewan.
These include Birch Narrows, Buffalo River Dene Nation, Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, Clearwater River Dene Nation, English River First Nation, Flying Dust First Nation, Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation, Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation, and Waterhen Lake First Nation.
The northern chiefs are calling on the provincial and federal government to meet with them on these matters as soon as possible.
TOP PHOTO: MLTC Tribal Chief Jeremy Norman speaks at a press conference in Saskatoon surrounded by other MLTC leaders. Photo by Joel Willick