BY KEITH LACEY
Being a mentor to young people is a big reason Grant Dokis likes being a cop so much.
It’s through his good work with the Police Mkwa Opportunity Education Circle that Dokis said he’s doing his best work.
Dokis was the first aboriginal police officer hired by the Greater Sudbury Police Service 21 years ago. He said he is thrilled some of the aboriginal teenagers he is working with are considering following in his footsteps.
Dokis, the police service’s aboriginal liaison officer since 2000, and Staff Sgt. Rob Thirkill, have been recognized with a national award of merit for their work in improving relations between police and aboriginal youth.
The Mkwa (native for bear clan) program is the brainchild of Police Chief Ian Davidson. It was designed to encourage more aboriginal youth to consider careers as police officers.
It’s also aims to bridge the gap Dokis acknowledges has long existed between police officers and native youth.
“Many of these aboriginal youths don’t particularly trust the police when they get involved, but after going through the program, you can really see a dramatic change,” he said. “They get to see these officers as people with a difficult job to do. “On the other hand the officers get to work directly with the native youth and learn about their culture and see how much they have to offer.”
Two years after the program commenced, it’s starting to pay dividends as youngsters such Dustin Homer and his sister, Daniella, are seriously considering careers as police officers or other vocations within the criminal justice system, said Dokis.
“I’ve sure seen a lot of changes in my 21 years and being part of this program is one of my proudest accomplishments,” said Dokis.
“Just recently, three more aboriginal officers were hired by the Sudbury service. All three are currently at police college and will be joining our service before the end of this year. That makes me very proud.”
The program is about education. Police officers and native youth are learning as they go and improving their relationship, he said.
The Mkwa program involves 15 aboriginal youth from various public high schools who work directly with 30 officers who volunteer their time to ensure the program will succeed, said Dokis.
The agenda includes a visit to police headquarters, where students are given an introduction to various departments.
They are also introduced to the all the officers involved, said Dokis.
Officers are invited to share native traditions with students in their home environments. This part of the program is called White Buffalo Road.
There are also a minimum of two full-day “ridealongs” as native youth observe and assist officers during the course of their duties during a full shift.
There are also regular workshops for students. Recent workshops have included one on healthy living and another on math used in forensic police work.
At the closing ceremony for the one semester program, officers and students share a native feast.
Many officers also volunteer to learn native traditional culture, and some have participated in sweat lodges.
“The program is all about breaking down barriers and allowing the native youth to see police officers in their environment and allowing officers to learn more about native culture and what’s important to native youth,” said Dokis.
The program also involves a job placement aspect. Many native students have found good summer and part-time jobs as a result, said Dokis.
Homer, 17, a Grade 12 student at Lively High School, landed a job with the police service for the summer of 2005. This past summer he found a job working with the Sudbury office of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
If not for the officers who volunteer their time, the Mkwa program could not work, said Dokis.
Homer, whose father Hap was a police officer in Blind River, said he’s thrilled to have participated in the Police Mkwa Opportunity Education Circle.
“Being able to share my traditional culture with officers is something I’m very proud of,” he said.
Homer said he’s “seriously considering” pursuing a police career when he starts college next fall.
“It’s either going to be a police officer or fish and wildlife technician...I haven’t quite decided yet,” he said. “I would highly recommend this program to all native youth in the community because it really is worthwhile.”
Dokis has been working this past summer with Tracy-Leigh Nanibush, hired as the service’s aboriginal liason assistant. She and Dokis have produced a video to encourage native youth to become police officers.
“We have more and more native youth coming to live in big cities and we’re going to need more aboriginal officers everywhere in the north for many years to come,” said Nanibush.
The video is expected to be completed and shown at various high schools around the north before the end of November, said Nanibush.
The Mkwa program is outstanding, she said.
“I want to be able to look at my little brother and sister and I want them to be able to look up to police officers and not be afraid,” she said. “Programs like this are needed to break down the barriers between native youth and police. I can tell you first-hand as a young native woman this program is working.”
Davidson said he “couldn’t be prouder” of the Mkwa program.
Attracting aboriginal police officers has always been difficult and programs like this are already paying huge dividends with the recent hiring of three native officers in Sudbury, said Davidson.
The longstanding barriers between police and native youth and aboriginal communities in general are starting to break down slowly but surely thanks to progressive ideas like this, he said.
“Typically, there’s been a great deal of mistrust between the police community and aboriginal communities across Canada,” said Davidson.
“A history of events has hindered aboriginal youth from accessing education and career opportunities so readily available to most other segments of our society.
“This program is about building bridges, knocking down barriers and providing opportunities to aboriginal youth. We’re already starting to see many success stories.”
“Unless we change and provide more opportunities for aboriginal youth in Canada, things will change too slowly or maybe not at all,” Davidson said.
