Signing Ceremony Ensures Strengthened Relationship between Siksika Nation and Alberta Ahead of Establishing Indigenous Police Force

Siksika Nation and the Minister of Justice, Tyler Shandro, took steps to strengthen Alberta’s relationship with the Nation and officially sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The signing ceremony occurred in the Siksika Nation administrative building council chambers, with several members of the Chief and Council and from the Justice Minister’s office. This MOU is one of the pivotal steps to ensuring funding will be available to assist with the establishment and security of the police force and sustain the relationship provincially and, soon, federally.

Siksika Nation is one of the largest First Nations reserves in Canada based on land. Establishing Siksika’s police force would ensure safety for the community, surrounding communities, and Albertans. The police force would also ensure that response times would be drastically cut short and be by those who know the Nation first-hand. The Nation once had its own police force from 1992-2002, but was defunct due to lack of funding.

Talks with the federal government will occur in the coming weeks and are essential to Siksika Nation moving forward promptly. Estimates of the establishment of the police force and infrastructure will hopefully be in the next five years.

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For more information, please contact:

Allison Duck Chief

Communications Specialist

Siksika Nation Chief and Council

allisondc@siksikanation.com

About Siksika Nation

Since time immemorial, the Children of the Plains, the Siksikai’tsitapi – Blackfoot People, have lived in and protected a territory that stretches from the North Saskatchewan River in present day Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Yellowstone River in the state of Montana, from the Continental Divide in the west to Regina in the province now known as Saskatchewan. siksikanation.com

Today, Siksika Nation population is approximately 7800+ and is part of the Siksikaitsitapi – Blackfoot Confederacy. The Siksikaitsitapi refers to four Indigenous Nations which make up the Blackfoot people: the Siksika (Blackfoot), the Kainai (Many Chiefs), the Apatohsipiikani (Northern Peigan) and Amsskapipiikani (Southern Peigan). Siksikai’powahsini (Blackfoot Language) is the language of the Siksikaitsitapi.