April 28, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario
Following a meeting in December 2021 between Commissioner Brenda Lucki, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and President Natan Obed, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), both organizations have developed a shared workplan to help improve the relationship between Inuit communities and RCMP.
The plan is the starting point of a collaborative relationship between the RCMP and Inuit at the national level to address gaps and priorities in policing, with the goal of building transparency and trust.
Many of the action items flow from recommendations made in the National Inuit Action Plan, which embodies Inuit priorities for implementing the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. These actions are also in keeping with federal commitments identified under the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.
The RCMP will work with ITK towards:
- data sharing on deaths by suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation
- mandatory cultural training for officers working in Inuit Nunangat
- increased Inuit representation within the RCMP and improved access for Inuktut speakers
- collaboration on input into the federal Indigenous Justice Strategy led by Justice Canada.
As part of the workplan, the RCMP has committed to regular consultation with Inuit leadership to monitor progress. Both organizations are committed to sharing information and working together on emerging issues.
“Inuit have long faced discrimination, neglect and violence within the criminal justice system. Our communities’ interactions with police have been strained. With this new workplan we hope to build a new relationship based on respect and mutual trust.”
ITK President Natan Obed
“Mutual trust, respect and empathy are fundamental components in building healthy relationships between police and Inuit communities. The RCMP is committed to working with ITK in implementing this workplan to repair, rebuild and enhance our relationships with communities in Inuit Nunangat.”
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki
ITK is the national representational organization for Inuit in Canada. Inuit Nunangat is made up of four regions: Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec) and Nunatsiavut (Newfoundland and Labrador.)
The RCMP provides policing services to over 70 per cent of Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat, including Nunavut, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
[email protected]
RMCP
