P.A. police officers learning Cree in hopes of improving relationship with Indigenous people

By Jaryn Vecchio

Members of the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) took it upon themselves to learn Cree in hopes of creating a better rapport with the area’s Indigenous people.

Sgt. Shawn Rowden and Community Safety Officer Kelleen Wolfe recently completed the Cree introductory course with the First Nations University of Canada.

Rowden, who is non-Indigenous, told paNOW Chief Jon Bergen and Deputy Police Chief Farica Prince shared the opportunity with members and he knew pretty quickly he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“I was pretty intimidated because learning a different language is difficult and takes lots of work, but I signed up for it and I’m glad I did.”

The course ran from the end of August to the end of December, with classes taking up two and a half hours every week. Despite taking up a lot of his personal time, Rowden decided to enroll in the second part of the course which is scheduled to wrap up in April.

He believes he’s learned a lot over the roughly last seven months.

“I don’t totally understand it fluently, but I can read it and pronounce it,” Rowden said.

While driving around Prince Albert, he started to notice many different Cree words and signs. He mentioned he was at a Prince Albert Raiders game where he noticed a jersey with the word ‘Kistahpinanihk’ on it and, thanks to the course, he knew that was the Cree word for Prince Albert.

Rowden also noted his new knowledge has been beneficial while on the job. He’s explained it’s been a good icebreaker in a few conversations.

“I was actually approached, not when I was working, by a gentleman and I spoke Cree to him,” Rowden added. “He was actually a homeless person and he was really taken back… that I knew some Cree.”

At this time, he doesn’t know if he’ll continue to take classes to improve even more. One thing that he is keeping in mind is his kids’ interest in learning Cree, something that may play a part if he decides to sign up again.

Meanwhile, the Prince Albert Police Service Women’s Commission thinks more officers will soon follow suit.

Police Chaplain Nora Vedress, a co-chair of the commission, said the benefits are already being seen by Rowden and other members will pick up on that if they haven’t already.

“One of the goals of policing is to build trust in the community and that’s not always been a strength within the Indigenous culture across the country. If (members) are able to just speak with people in their language it calms situations, it builds trust when you have a victim you can talk to, it just changes the environment.”

Vedress added PAPS also deserves credit for promoting this program with the First Nations University of Canada and for paying the tuition costs for their members.