(Photo Left to right) Corporal Michelle Phillips, Jordan Broadhead [Victim Services], Wendy Goulet, Naomi Chalifoux-Sawan, Corporal Courtney Tipton

By Shane Clausing

eagle feather protocol

Peace Regional RCMP introduces new eagle feather protocol

Apr 30, 2021 | 5:00 AM

The Peace Regional RCMP has announced it will be introducing a new eagle feather protocol at its detachment.

This new protocol will allow for those swearing a legal oath at the detachment to have an option of using an eagle feather as opposed to swearing on a bible or affirm.

“The RCMP implemented this protocol in order to create an option for the indigenous people and indigenous communities as something more they can relate to in relevance to the justice system,” explained Cst. Courtney Tipton, with the Peace Regional RCMP.

“It shows our commitment to how we want to work with these communities.”

Tipton tells EverythingGP the eagle feather is sacred in Indigenous culture and is a symbol of spirituality. The eagle is sacred because it flies the highest and closest to the creator.

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While the protocol is new for the Peace Regional RCMP detachment, it is implemented in several other detachments across the country.

“High Prairie RCMP has one, there’s a couple in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Morinville and Saskatchewan has a couple as well,” explained Tipton.

According to the RCMP, the planning for the department to implement this protocol began in early 2020.

The detachment says they had to put in a request to Aboriginal Policing for approval of the protocol. The main goal of the policy is to have the eagle feather protocol an option at all RCMP detachments across the country.

Peace Regional Victim Services also played a role in making the eagle feather available at the Detachment along with Aboriginal Interagency Committee members, Wendy Goulet and Naomi Chalifoux-Sawan beaded the eagle feather.

“Everybody is really excited to have this as an option for themselves and the community members we deal with that might find it more of a significant thing to affirm on an eagle feather or on a firm without anything,” said Tipton.