New RCMP Heritage exhibit aims to celebrate history between RCMP and First Nations

Respect, recognition and reconciliation.

That is the message of the Canada 150 exhibit unveiled at the RCMP Heritage Centre Tuesday morning, titled ‘Building Better Partnerships: The RCMP and Canada’s First Peoples.’

“When you think back of the development of Canada, it is inextricably linked with peoples indigenous to this country but also the RCMP or Northwest Mounted Police,” said Marty Klyne, the CEO of the RCMP Heritage Centre.

The exhibit features two full-sized teepees, an arctic ice display, traditional dress and headdresses displays.

The exhibit was unveiled just one day after a report from Human Rights Watch points to distrust between indigenous women and police. While the exhibit focuses on positive contributions between the RCMP and indigenous, Metis and Inuit peoples, it doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of their past, and the need to build a better relationship.

“If we’re going to build stronger relations, if we’re going to be more tolerant to society moving forward, we have to have these types of relations in place and partnerships in place, said Edmund Bellegarde, the Tribal Chief of File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council. “And acknowledgement of the past and the history is a big part of that.”

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It’s a message that many are hoping will be passed down through generations.

“The main thing is to teach young ones our stories,” said Elder Larry Oakes. “Creation stories; where do we come from, how did we get here, what are we supposed to do, how do we continue that spiritual stability of where we are in life. If we’re able to do that (and give) them that responsibility, we as adults have done our job.”

The opening of the exhibit marks the start of a week’s worth of festivities to celebrate National Aboriginal Day, which is June 21. This month is also Aboriginal History Month.

The exhibit will be on display until the end of February 2018.