Natives and cops host dance

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Edmonton's police officers and members of the Native community danced the night away.

The Boyle Street Community Services Co-op Inner City Resource Centre, along with the Edmonton Police Service's Aboriginal Resource Officer program (ARO), co-hosted a round dance on April 28 with the theme "Gathering in Friendship-Around the drum 2001."

"In the history of the Edmonton Police Service since 1892 there has never been an initiative taken like this," said Const. Eric Wilde. " This is really a first, and it's amazing because as a police service we are going right into the community. It is a huge step for us to be here and to be able to be a part of it."

The ARO program is comprised of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal police members and civilian members who donate their time to the Native community. Its purpose is to develop and foster relationships between the two, explained Wilde.

"The ARO program has been redeveloped from the Native Resource Officer program which goes back at least 10 years now, and so it has been upgraded into the ARO program," said Wilde. "So it basically got a new coat of paint, it's become more refined. Specifically we are looking for objectives to look at within the community and to really stick with. We are looking for realistic things that we can accomplish with working in the community more closely. That's what this is tonight, so not just to have a title, but to actually walk the walk and not just talk it."

The Boyle Street Co-op works with the inner-city Native community and has held an annual round dance for the last four years at its downtown location. As it was preparing for this year's round dance it was approached by the ARO program to co-host the event, explained Karen Bruno, a Boyle Street outreach worker and a round dance co-ordinator.

"I think that if we want to battle some of the issues that surround the inner city it is good to show the community members and the Edmonton city police that we can all work in partnership," said Bruno. "It took the community members, the police service, and the staff of the co-op to make this round dance happen."

For many of the constables, being a part of the event was a learning experience, as most of the officers never attended a round dance before or participated in traditional Native ceremonies, explained Marlene Sharphead, a Boyle Street youth worker and a round dance co-ordinator.

"It's eye opening and there are perspectives from both sides that become accurate about each other. There are perspectives from both sides that are clouded and this allows people to see through that cloud," said Wilde. "So that people can see that there is a different side to those people (officers) in that uniform. It's getting past that image, and it's letting people know that we are just like them. We're cutting onions, mopping floors and serving food tonight. And for the officers, this allows them to know that those Native people that they see walking down the street have backgrounds and traditions."

"For me it's a lot, for me it says that this is something that is long overdue and it's just something that we should be doing more. I am just amazed that we haven't done it before and it's very special," said Wilde.