Discussions on systemic racism in policing, and the need to create more First Nations police services was a major focus of the second day of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) annual general assembly in Winnipeg.
Thursday’s agenda featured talks from a number of leaders and experts about policing.
“Last year was one of the worst years we’ve seen for deaths in custody, especially in the last half of [the year],” Terry Teegee, AFN regional chief for British Columbia, told the assembly.
From August to November 2024, 10 First Nations people died following interactions with the police.
“Certainly we know this isn’t an isolated issue but a pattern experienced by First Nations people across this country,” he said.
“It is essential that Canada recognize the urgency of this issue and we must stop continued systemic racism embedded in the justice system that only harms our people.”
The AFN passed an emergency resolution last December calling for a national inquiry into the high number of police-related deaths among First Nations people, a resolution that is still standing.
Jerry Swamp, president of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, reiterated the importance of an updated funding model for First Nations police services in an effort to prevent more deaths.
Funding agreements for First Nations police services say “we must provide culturally responsible policing to our communities,” said Swamp.
“I always wondered why they put that in a First Nations policing agreement,” said Swamp.
“We’re already culturally responding to our communities because we live the culture. How come they don’t put it into mainstream model policing agreements? Maybe we wouldn’t have the deaths that occurred last year, maybe they’d have more training, and more funding for the training, to provide culturally sensitive policing.”
A decision from the Supreme Court of Canada last year found that Quebec had breached an agreement by underfunding police services in Mashteuiatsh.
And in a similar case in Ontario, First Nations are fighting for equal funding, drawing attention to the massive underfunding of First Nations police services in Canada.
AFN Quebec-Labrador Regional Chief Francis Verreault-Paul said the Quebec case was a glaring example of the lack of funding across the board for First Nations policing in Canada.
“We need legislation that recognizes First Nation policing as an essential service, providing those basic legal protection enjoyed by non-First Nations,” he said.
“Existing funding models on Canadian First Nations policing programs continue to fall well short of true needs and its reform is well overdue.”
Over 50 draft resolutions were slated to be deliberated and voted on during the three-day assembly. By Thursday afternoon, six had been discussed.
Two resolutions relating to Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, were presented on Thursday. It gives the federal government the power to fast track major economic development projects that are deemed to be of national interest.
While the federal government says the changes will boost economic growth, many First Nations leaders warn the streamlined process may bypass the Crown’s duty to consult, potentially infringing on Indigenous rights.
The first resolution called on the federal government to bridge the Infrastructure gap in First Nations communities as a nation building project, and commit the $350 billion needed to do so. It was voted down.
Another to delay implementation of the Building Canada Act until meaningful inclusion of First Nations takes place was also defeated.
Two resolutions that were passed both related to the Jordan’s Principle program.
The resolutions direct the AFN to call upon Indigenous Services Canada to revoke a Feb. 10, 2025 Operational Bulletin implementing changes to processing requests under Jordan’s Principle. The resolutions also direct the AFN to call upon the federal government to immediately and effectively end the backlog of funding requests to Jordan’s Principle.
