Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to our two witnesses for sharing with us today.
Oki, Chief Buckskin. We met a number of weeks ago at the opening of the Chief Crop Eared Wolf justice centre. Given that I have family ties to Kainai, although I am from Treaty 6, I was very proud to see that happen.
Kainai has had its own police forces for a long time. We've heard a consistent theme in this study thus far that solutions really rely on the communities. Kainai has, for a long time, proven through its self-investments and risk-taking that it is serious when it comes to protecting its community.
We know the struggles when it comes to funding and recognition, but I'm hoping you can elaborate on some of the successes and lessons learned for other first nations, Métis or Inuit communities that want to start their own police forces. Hopefully, in the future, there will be better supports for them.
What are some of the things you would have done differently and what are some of the successes? Can you give a short summary of the best lessons that Kainai has learned since establishing the Blood Tribe Police Service that other nations can learn from?