RCMP Cadets Train as Ambassadors
Mounties look to adopt the IPAC Giant Floor Map into their Indigenous Immersion Program
A painting by Kyley Henderson represents the work being made to develop trust and respect between the RCMP and Indigenous communities.
Routinely throughout the 6 month training at Depot Cadets take opportunities to learn about the Indigenous Communities, their culture, language and traditions. Since last year Depot and a team from the RCMP Heritage Centre have been working with the RCMP Centralized Training Branch to create a 2-4 hour formal program (more of a learning journey and cultural experience) using these resources. The pilot project is intended to not only provide each and every cadet an immersive experience into Indigenous worlds but also present opportunities to see them reach their first posting trained as ambassadors and comfortable with bringing the IPAC and GFM kit into their own community.
At the Depot Campus RCMP heritage Centre, there is a room dedicated to showcasing the IPAC materials. Here RCMP Cadets learn and explore the Indigenous culture from a whole new perspective.
In the picture below, this senior troop, (who are very close to graduating), have just completed the pilot program and were asked to stand on the IPAC GFM where they have been posted to. Quite often graduates are posted to areas of Canada they have never been to and do not know much about, much less the Indigenous communities they are going to serve. This gives them the opportunity to not only learn more about the community they will be spending the next 3+ years serving, but from an Indigenous perspective with respect to geographical and cultural borders.
RCMP runs approximately 20-35 troops through a year, each troop starts with 25-35 cadets. Not all graduate as Mounties, some will graduate as Peace Officers for their First Nation community.
This senior troop, (who are very close to graduating), have just completed the pilot program and were asked to stand on the IPAC GFM on the location they have been posted to.