Photo courtesy of Manfred Joehnck
The RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina opened an exhibit today, celebrating the long relationship between Mounties and Canada’s First Nations people.
The display is in recognition of National Aboriginal Day as well as Canada’s 150th birthday. The exhibit is called “Building better partnerships: The RCMP and Canada’s First Peoples.” It highlights the partnership and key role played by Metis guides and scouts. In the southwest, it was the RCMP that prevented priests from taking First Nations children from their homes and putting them into residential schools.
File Hills Tribal Council Chief, Edmund Bellegarde, took part in the ribbon-cutting. He says the history between the RCMP and First Nations people has been strained at times, but there has also been a lot of respect and recognition.
“There is good and bad that has happened throughout the years,” he said. “I think as society evolves and changes, and actually becomes more tolerant and recognizes and acknowledges First Nations peoples’ roles in this country, I think that is what we are looking forward to.”
The CEO of the RCMP Heritage Centre is Marty Klyne. He is of Metis and Cree descent, and proud of his heritage. He also takes a lot of pride in the exhibit and encourages everyone to come out and see it.
“I think things like this lend testimony to a reflection of wanting to build relationships and continuing to build partnerships,” he said. “The exhibit serves both purposes and it serves the country well to do that.”
The display features two tipis, sacred artifacts and traditional First Nations dress.
The exhibit will be open all summer.