Indigenous Policing 2026

June 3 & 4, 2026 at 9:00AM MDT

Grey Eagle Resort and Casino, Calgary, Alberta

Register Now
Description
Agenda
Faculty

Indigenous Policing 2026

June 3 & 4, 2026

Overview

Indigenous communities face racism, higher crime and incarceration rates than the rest of Canada.

There are significantly higher police incidents involving Indigenous people.

We know these facts. What can we do and how can we fix it?

What has worked? What can we change?

It is crucial for all those involved with the system to explore and identify key elements in developing and implementing quality policing strategies and harm reduction measures for Indigenous communities.

There are new approaches to enforcing by-laws in Indigenous communities and recent successful court decisions.

Police departments across Canada have increased public scrutiny and calls for greater accountability.

In the middle of great conflict, there are enormous opportunities for growth and progress.

Join us as we bring together leading experts with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Attend this two-day program to hear critical insights and updates that are affecting Indigenous police services, and police serving Indigenous communities.

This is essential learning for anyone interested in reconciliation and creating a better and safer future.

Key Areas Addressed:

  • Community driven goal of public safety

  • Indigenous policing – what to fix and how to fix it

  • Governance and Indigenous policing – the over-policing and under-policing dichotomy

  • Diversity in policing

  • Enforcing band by-laws under the Indian Act

  • Update on Indigenous communities enforcing band by-laws

  • The Tsuut’ina experience – legislation, enforcement, adjudication and community involvement

  • Innovative approaches to Indigenous and community policing

  • A fresh and different approach to community trust – Marshal services on Indigenous lands

  • Time to shed the colonial model? Recruiting and retention in Indigenous communities

  • What are the policing standards that communities need for tomorrow?

Who Should Attend:

  • Indigenous leaders, council members, elders, and members of Indigenous community organizations

  • Indigenous police officers and Indigenous police boards members

  • Members of municipal, provincial, and federal police services that serve and protect Indigenous communities

  • Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government officials

  • Lawyers practising in the area of Indigenous justice, and members of the judiciary making decisions impacting Indigenous peoples and communities

  • Parole and corrections officers, social workers, mental health workers, criminologists, court workers and others involved with the justice system

Agenda

Day One - June 3, 2026

9:00 - Welcome by PBLI

9:05 - Welcome to Tsuut’ina Territory – Land Acknowledgement and Prayer

9:20 - Chair’s Welcome and Introduction – Community Driven Goal of Public Safety

Rob Davis
Chief of Police, Moose Jaw Police Service, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (Former Chief of Police of Brantford Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service and Dryden Police Service; plus 17 years of Self-Administered Indigenous Policing)

9:30 - Keynote Address – Indigenous Policing – What to Fix and How to Fix It

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak - Invited
Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa

10:15 - Questions and Discussion

10:30 - Refreshment Adjournment

10:45 - Governance and Indigenous Policing – The Over-Policing and Under-Policing Dichotomy

Professor Kent Roach
University of Toronto, Faculty of Law

  • The role of Governance

  • The role of Police Boards

  • What to do when there is political interference

  • Indigenous representation on police boards and why it matters

  • The FNPP and stalled Indigenous policing legislation

11:45 - Questions and Discussion

12:00 - Networking Lunch

1:00 - Diversity in Policing

Raj Saini
Deputy Chief, Medicine Hat Police Service

  • Racism in day-to-day dealings

  • Are hiring strategies changing based on recent politics?

  • Merit based hiring

  • Are human rights changing in North America?

  • Is there a DEI backlash?

1:45 - Questions and Discussion

1:55 - Enforcing Band By-Laws Under the Indian Act

Kyle Friesen
General Counsel, Legal Services, Surrey Police Service, BC and Former Legal Advisor to the RCMP Deputy Commissioner

  • The duty of police of respond and enforce laws (Federal. Provincial and First Nation) on reserve

  • Removal of persons from residences: Evictions and community safety

  • Public safety and protests: the right of everyone to peaceful, lawful and safe protests, blockades

  • Privacy legislation of First Nations

2:40 - Questions and Discussion

2:50 - Refreshment Adjournment

3:00 - Update on Indigenous Communities Enforcing Band By-Laws

Jason Herbert
Falls Law

  • First Nation law-making authority

  • Enforceable First Nation laws and by-laws

  • When to use BCRs

  • The role of police in the enforcement of First Nation laws and BCRs

  • Update on successful prosecutions

3:45 - Questions and Discussion

3:55 - The Tsuut’ina Experience – Legislation, Enforcement, Adjudication and Community Involvement

Chief Keith Blake
Chief of Police, Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service

Teddy Manywounds - Invited
G4 Justice Director, Tsuut’ina Nation

  • Collaboration and providing what the community wants

  • Continuing work in the community

  • Agreement with provincial prosecutors to enforce Indigenous nations’ legislation in provincial courts

  • Keeping the public safe - systems in alignment

4:45 - Questions and Discussion

4:55 - Chair’s Closing Remarks for Day One

5:00 - Forum Concludes for Day One

Day Two - June 4, 2026

9:00 - Chair’s Welcome to Day Two

Rob Davis
Chief of Police, Moose Jaw Police Service, Saskatchewan (Former Chief of Police of Brantford Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service and Dryden Police Service; plus 17 years of Self-Administered Indigenous Policing)

9:10 - Keynote Address – Innovative Approaches to Indigenous and Community Policing

Dale McFee - Invited
Deputy Minister of Executive Council and Head of the Alberta Public Service, Former Chief of Police, Edmonton, Alberta

  • Update on Alberta Bill 49

  • Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act – Inclusion of Indigenous voices

  • Law enforcement

  • Use of technology in public safety

  • Addressing homelessness

  • Crisis management

9:50 - Questions and Discussion

10:00 - A Fresh and Different Approach to Community Trust – Marshall Services on Indigenous Lands

Chief Marshal Rob Cameron - Invited
Saskatchewan Marshals Service

  • The need for law enforcement to be invited onto First Nation lands

  • The necessity of Indigenous voices

10:40 - Questions and Discussion

10:50 - Refreshment Adjournment

11:05 - Time to Shed the Colonial Model? Recruiting and Retention in Indigenous Communities

Deputy Chief Farica Prince
Prince Albert Police Service

  • Are standards and tests outdated and not meeting current needs?

  • How to assess character, leadership and morality?

  • Allowing flexibility

  • What kind of people do we want to attract to policing? What are the goals?

  • Indigenous people policing Indigenous people - On reserve, rural and urban situations

  • Public safety versus law enforcement

  • The challenges unique to Indigenous communities

11:50 - Questions and Discussion

12:00 - Faculty Roundtable – What are the Policing Standards That Communities Need for Tomorrow?

  • Are we stuck in the Colonial Model?

  • Do we need to shift the police culture?

  • What is working?

  • What needs to change?

  • Are we stuck with historical requirements? Vision, physical etc.

  • The need for experts in cyber-crime

12:40 - Questions and Discussion

12:50 - Chair’s Closing Remarks

1:00 - Forum Concludes

Register Now

Meet the Chair

  • Chief of Police, Moose Jaw Police Service, Saskatchewan (Former Chief of Police of Brantford Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service and Dryden Police Service; plus 17 years of Self-Administered Indigenous Policing)

    Chief Davis is a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and began his policing career in 1990. Chief Davis spearheaded the drive for the first Aboriginal police service in Canada to gain membership into the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario (CISO). Chief Davis has worked in active policing, as well as on educational programs to combat the impacts of gangs and organized crime on Aboriginal populations. Chief Davis is the recipient of the prestigious Gimborn Scholarship awarded to him for his efforts in combating organized crime and gangs. He has previously served as Chief of Police for the Dryden Police Service, the Lethbridge Police Service, and the Brantford Police Service. In 2025, he was sworn in as the Chief of Police of the Moose Jaw Police Service.

Keynote Speakers

  • Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa

    Protecting collective rights–Treaty, inherent rights, title and jurisdiction, the right to self-determination, and all human rights.

    National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was born and raised in Pinaymootang First Nation, Manitoba. Her ancestor, Chief Richard Woodhouse, was an original signatory of Treaty No.2. She began her term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations on December 7, 2023, becoming the youngest woman and mother to hold the position.

    National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg and has completed Harvard Business School’s Tribal Leaders program.

    In 2021, she was elected as the Regional Chief for the AFN Manitoba Region. During her tenure, she was the lead negotiator for the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle class action lawsuit, which resulted in over $40 billion compensation for First Nations children and families.

    Throughout her career, National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak has accumulated a wealth of experience lobbying the Senate, House of Commons, Cabinet Ministers, and the Prime Minister’s Office to fulfill mandates from Chiefs. She continues to advocate for First Nations priorities, as directed by the First Nations-in-Assembly collaboratively with First Nations leadership, to protect collective rights–Treaty, inherent rights, title and jurisdiction, the right to self-determination, and all human rights.

    A mother to three children, she is passionate about leaving a better future for all First Nations children and the next seven generations, envisioning a future where all First Nations Peoples live in balance as our ancestors envisioned for us since time immemorial.

  • Deputy Minister of Executive Council and Head of the Alberta Public Service, Former Chief of Police, Edmonton, Alberta

    On February 1, 2019, Dale McFee was sworn in as Police Chief for the Edmonton Police Service.Prior to this role, Dale served 6.5 years as the Deputy Minister of Corrections and Policing in the Ministry of Justice for the Government of Saskatchewan and was the Senior Deputy Minister involved with leading transformational change. Dale served as a police officer for 26 years in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, including 9 years as the Chief of Police for the Prince Albert Police Service.

    Dale has lectured extensively on leadership and change management nationally and internationally. He is a former member of Entrepreneurs International and served in the capacity of moderator for groups of business leaders within Saskatchewan. Dale is a past President of the Canadian Association Chief’s of Police, a former Chair of the Federal Provincial Deputy Ministers and former Co-Chair of CCJA within Stats Canada.

Meet the Faculty

  • Chief of Police, Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service

    Chief of Police Keith Blake is proud to lead alongside the sworn and non-sworn members of Tosguna, and to serve the beautiful community of Tsuut’ina Nation. Chief Blake believes in the importance of providing community centered policing, adapting to meet the cultural and socioeconomic needs of the Tsuut’ina Peoples and to address root causes of crime.

    After serving 24 years in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Keith Blake was sworn in as the 5th Chief of Police of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service on May 16th, 2013. Keith has been privileged to have completed all of his service in the Province of Alberta and experienced firsthand the culture, pride and honour in being a part of the policing in seven different First Nations communities across Alberta.

    Currently, Chief Blake serves as Vice-President of the First Nation Chiefs of Police Association and is an active member of the Assembly of First Nations Policing Taskforce, working to co-develop long-overdue essential service legislation. He also contributes to the National Police Service National Advisory Committee and participates in the RCMP Commissioner’s Chiefs of Police Round Table. Additionally, Chief Blake acts as the Executive Sponsor for the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police Policing with Indigenous Peoples Committee.

    Keith is deeply committed to advocating for First Nations policing, raising awareness of its unique challenges, and championing solutions that celebrate the successes and resilience of Indigenous policing across Canada. Above all, he remains humbled and inspired by the opportunity to serve the visionary people of the Tsuut’ina Nation.

  • General Counsel, Legal Services, Surrey Police Service, BC and Former Legal Advisor to the RCMP Deputy Commissioner

    Kyle is General Counsel, Legal Services for the new Surrey Police Service, following 22+ years as Legal Advisor to the RCMP in British Columbia. Since 1998, he has provided "live" legal advice on all operational and administrative policing matters, including Indigenous Policing across Canada. He was Legal Counsel to the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Kyle was posted from 1994-1998 with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC, dealing with police departments and law enforcement issues, including public interest notifications about dangerous persons. From 1986 to 1994, he held various posts in the national security sector in Ottawa. In 2007 and again in 2014, he received Commanding Officer's Commendations for service to the RCMP. In 2010, he received the Deputy Minister of Justice National Team Award for services during the 2010 Winter Olympics. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service. In 2016, he received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada for his service to the community.

  • Partner, Falls Law Group, Bracebridge, ON

    Jay is a Partner at Falls Law Group and Lead Counsel on this work. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and a History Specialist Degree from York University.

    Jay’s practice focuses on serving First Nation interests and Indigenous clientele. He is experienced in civil and criminal litigation at the trial and appeal levels and routinely defends individuals charged with serious criminal offences. As a successful litigator, Jay’s in-depth working knowledge of the justice system informs his practical strategy and policy recommendations for First Nations.

    Jay leads Falls Law Group’s work in First Nation policing, which includes acting as Private Prosecutor for several First Nations, recently bringing the first private prosecution of a First Nation’s Land Code Law in Ontario and the Eastern Provinces.

    A member of Rama First Nation, Jay is an elected trustee of the Coldwater Narrows Land Trust and has significant experience acting on behalf of Indigenous individuals and providing services to First Nations, including policy development and strategy, and support drafting and implementing enforceable First Nation laws.

    Jay focuses on providing practical, strategic, and actionable solutions, whether for a First Nation seeking to develop enforceable laws or an individual needing legal advice.

  • Professor, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law

    Kent Roach is Professor of Law at the University of Toronto. He is a former law clerk to Justice Bertha Wilson of the Supreme Court of Canada. Professor Roach has been editor-in-chief of the Criminal Law Quarterly since 1998. In 2002, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He was awarded the Molson Prize for the social sciences and humanities in 2017.

    He is the author of Constitutional Remedies in Canada (winner of the Owen best law book Prize); Due Process and Victims’ Rights (short listed for the Donner Prize for public policy), The Supreme Court on Trial (same); (with Robert J. Sharpe) Brian Dickson: A Judge’s Journey(winner of the Dafoe Prize) and The 9/11 Effect: Comparative Counter-Terrorism (winner of the Mundell Medal); (with Craig Forcese) False Security: The Radicalization of Canadian Anti-Terrorism (winner of the Canadian Law and Society Association best book prize);  Canadian Justice, Indigenous Injustice: The Gerald Stanley/Colten Boushie Case (short listed for the Shaughnessy Cohen prize for political writing); Remedies for Human Rights Violations: A Two-Track Approach to Supra-national and National Law (runner up for Canadian Council on International law book prize for 2020-21);  Canadian Policing: Why and How it Must Change (finalist for the 2022 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the 2023 Donner Prize for Public Policy.) and Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes and What Canada Must Do To Safeguard Justice (finalist for the 2032 Donner Prize in Public Policy. He is also the author of the Criminal Law and Charter volumes in Irwin Law’s essentials of Canadian law series. His newest book Justice for Some: A Comparative Study of Miscarriages of Justice and Wrongful Convictions was published by Cambridge University Press in 2026 and his 19th book Red Alert: The Future of the RCMP will be published this summer.  He is the co-editor of 13 collections of essays including Comparative Counter-Terrorism published by Cambridge University Press in 2015 and 3 casebooks.  He has also written over 275 articles and chapters published in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as in Canada.

    Professor Roach has served as research director for the Goudge Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology,  for the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182, for the Independent Civilian Review of Toronto Police Missing Persons Investigations and for the public consultations resulting in A Miscarriage of Justice Commission report. He served as volume lead for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report on the Legacy of Residential Schools  He was a member of the research advisory committees for the inquiry into the rendition of Maher Arar, the Ipperwash Inquiry into the killing of Dudley George and the Commission into the 2022 Public Order Emergency.  He has been a member of Canadian Council of Academies expert panels on policing and subsequently on Indigenous policing. He is also co-founder of the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions at https://www.wrongfulconvictions.ca/.

    Professor Roach has won awards for his pro bono work and contributions to civil liberties. He has represented Aboriginal and civil liberties groups in many interventions including Gladue, Wells, Ipeelee and Anderson on sentencing Indigenous  offenders, Stillman, Dunedin Construction,  Ward, Conseil Francophone and G v. Ontario  on Charter remedies, Golden on strip searches, Khawaja on the definition of terrorism, Williams and Chouhan on jury selection and Corbiere and Sauve on voting rights.

  • Deputy Chief of Police, Prince Albert Police Service, Prince Albert, SK

    Farica began her career in October 2001 with Dakota Ojibway Police Service and was posted to her home community of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in southern Manitoba, after graduating from RCMP’s Depot Division. In 2005 Farica joined the Blood Tribe Police Service in southern Alberta where she served in patrol until 2008. It was during these formative years of her career that her dedication to people-centered community policing was born. In 2008 she was deployed on a secondment where she instructed at RCMP’s Depot Division, first in Applied Police Science and then the Firearms Training Unit. In 2011 Farica returned to the Blood Tribe Police Service patrol section where was promoted to Sergeant and served as a Watch Commander until 2013, when she became an Acting Staff Sergeant responsible for Operations. In 2018 Farica was promoted to Inspector and in 2019 she graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Policing. Deputy Chief Farica Prince has led many initiatives in different areas within policing; patrol, operations, training, professional standards, communications, prisoner detention, recruiting, human resource management, policy and procedure, provincial standards, procurement, information management. Farica is actively involved with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee where she serves a co-chair. Farica is also active within Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police and previously with Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police. A leader who is focused on the “human factor”, Farica’s compassion and relatability has contributed to her success in many ways.

  • Deputy Chief, Medicine Hat Police Service

    Raj Saini began his policing career in 1999 with the Brantford Police Service, where he developed a strong foundation in frontline policing and criminal investigations. In January 2022, Raj accepted the position of Deputy Chief of Police with the Nelson Police Department, where he was responsible for overseeing both the operational and administrative functions of the department. Raj has led diverse teams, managed complex investigations, and implemented technology-driven solutions throughout his career.

    Academically, Deputy Chief Saini is deeply committed to advancing the professionalization of policing through education and evidence-based strategies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Safety and is currently a Doctoral candidate in Public Safety. His academic pursuits align with his dedication to modernizing policing practices, fostering leadership development, and implementing progressive community safety strategies.

    Deputy Chief Saini joined the Medicine Hat Police Service in January 2025 and in his current role oversees both the Operational and Support Service Divisions of the Service.

Registration Form

Program:

Indigenous Policing 2026

Date:

June 3 & 4, 2026

Location:

Grey Eagle Resort and Casino, 3779 Grey Eagle Drive, Calgary, Alberta

Registration:

The registration fee is $1,600.00 plus GST of $80.00 totalling $1,680.00 for in-person attendance. Registration fee covers your attendance at the program and electronic materials. In-person attendance includes a catered lunch and refreshments throughout the days.

Early Bird Discount:

Register by May 4, 2026 and receive a $150 discount on the registration fee ($1,450.00 plus GST). Discounts cannot be combined.

Group Discount:

Register four persons from the same organization at the same time and you are entitled to a complimentary fifth registration. Discounts cannot be combined.

If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form and email it to registrations@pbli.com:

DOWNLOAD FORM

Payment:

You may pay by VISA, Mastercard or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to the Pacific Business & Law Institute and mailed to Unit 2-2246 Spruce Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 2P3. Please do not send cheques via courier with signature required.

When and Where:

Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. (MDT). The Grey Eagle Resort and Casino is located at 3779 Grey Eagle Drive, Calgary, Alberta. If you need to book a room, please contact the Reservation Department directly at 1-844-719-8777 or 403-719-8777 and provide the group name: Indigenous Policing Conference – Block ID: 413320 and dates of stay for a group rate.

Materials:

We will distribute papers and/or other materials provided by the faculty explaining many of the points raised during this program. Materials will be distributed electronically.

Cancellations/Transfers:

Refunds will be given for cancellations (less a $60.00 administration fee) if notice is received in writing five full business days prior to the program (May 27, 2026). After that time we are unable to refund registration fees. Substitutions will be permitted. We reserve the right to cancel, change or revise the date, faculty, content, availability of webinar or venue and transfer in-person registration to webinar registration for this event.

To register by phone:

Telephone us: 604-730-2500

Your Privacy:

We will keep all information that you provide to us in strict confidence, other than to prepare a delegate list containing your name, title, firm and city for our faculty and the program delegates. We do not share our mailing lists with any non-affiliated organization.

Course Accreditation:

Attendance at this course can be listed for up to 10.3 hours of continuing professional development credits with the Law Society of BC. For practitioners in other jurisdictions, please check your governing body’s CPD requirements.

If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form (DOWNLOAD FORM) and email it to registrations@pbli.com; for individual registration, please continue with form below.