Federal Government and RCMP fail to live up to Community Tripartite Agreement

(Nuu-chah-nulth Territory/Hitacu, BC – April 2, 2018) – President Les Doiron is calling for immediate action by the federal government and the RCMP to ensure community safety for the citizens of the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government in the Hitacu community.

Doiron states, “We have serious concerns regarding the lack of presence in the community by the local RCMP detachment which has resulted in loss of lives of our citizens.  This impacts the community as a whole.  The local RCMP detachment does have the manpower to live up to the Community Tripartite Agreement.  The agreement states that the community should have a RCMP officer in our community 90% of his time.”  Doiron adds, “We are a modern treaty government with a direct relationship with the Crown and we lack the ability to provide a safe community for our citizens.  We honour our word in our Agreements and the other party is treating this Agreement as if it is not worth the paper that it is written on.”

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness sent the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government a letter last January stating that the federal government will be investing $102 million over five years, starting in 2017-2018, to ensure that existing officer levels in Community Tripartite Agreements are adequately funded  and will ensure there will be an additional 110 RCMP officers, starting in 2019, to address the policing and public safety needs of Indigenous communities. 

“We require additional officers now at the Ucluelet RCMP detachment, the high tourist season is fast approaching and our community requires action now”, stated President Doiron.  “We have a serious problem with illegal transportation and selling of alcohol and drugs to our community.  Lives are being lost and the community is in crisis.”

The Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government is calling on the federal government, specifically the Honourable Ralph Goodale, to discuss this issue of great importance of the community.  It requires that the government-to-government relationship established in the treaty, is not a false promise to this First Nation community that is working towards true reconciliation with Canada.

The Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government is one of five Maa-nulth Treaty First Nations that has been self-governing for seven years.  The principle location of its 250 citizens living on its treaty settlement lands is in Hitacu, located across the bay from Ucluelet.

Please direct media inquiries to:

Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, Les Doiron, President at 250-266-4499

Press Release – RCMP and Hitacu Policing