History made in File Hills First Nations.

History was made on May 25 when, with the stroke of a pen, the first police agency in Saskatchewan to be self-administered by First Nations communities was officially created.

The new File Hills First Nations Police Agency will provide police services for the five File Hills Agency members Little Black Bear, Okanese Peepeekisis, Star Blanket and Carry the Kettle First Nations. The policing agreement that sealed the deal was signed by Saskatchewan Justice, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, the RCMP, the File Hills Board of Police Commissioners and the chiefs of the five First Nations.

According to Saskatchewan Justice Minister Frank Quennell, the seeds for creation of this new police force were planted in 1991, then the federal government unveiled a new First Nations policing policy. Two years later, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations signed an agreement with the provincial and federal governments that gave First Nation communities in the province the right to choose a police force such as the RCMP to provide their policing services.

The cost of operating the File Hills police agency will be covered by the federal and provincial governments, and the police service will fall under the provincial police act, Quennell said. The Saskatchewan Police Commission will continue to have a supervisory role, and any complaints about the policing service would continue to go through the province's independent public complaints commission.

Ralph Martin, the police chief for the File Hills First Nations Police Agency, comes to the position with more than 32 years experience as an RCMP officer, including six year's spent working out of the nearby Fort Qu'Appelle detachment.

"So I was pretty familiar with what was going on at File Hills before I joined the service," he said.

The shift from having the RCMP police the five communities to having a First Nations administered police agency in place was a gradual one, Martin said. Each time an RCMP officer would leave the detachment, he or she would be replaced with a File Hills officer. Martin was the final addition to the team, coming on board just over a year ago.

Having a self-administered police force will mean that members of the File Hill Agency First Nations will have more of a say in how the police service is administered," Martin said.

The police service has its main office on Okanese First Nation, with a community office on Carry the Kettle, both staffed by support staff during regular working hours. There's money in the budget for seven officers, although there are currently only six on staff. It also employes a cultural liaison person, who works to help the police agency to build stronger relationships with the communities it serves. The liaison will work to keep File Hill police agency members informed about the cultural practices of each of the five communities and will provide them with information about proper protocol," Martin said.

"Just being a link between the police service and the community and the community's cultures."

By Cheryl Petten

Sage Staff Writer

OKANESE FIRST NATION