Elders say they were fired from Regina youth corrections centre for defending cultural protocol
CBC
Elder Melanie Fisher says she enjoyed working at Regina’s Paul Dojack Youth Centre and loved “the boys” at the facility like her own children.
She and fellow elder Calvin Pelletier had a good relationship with the staff and were praised for their work, until the relationship soured over an October cultural camp, she said.
Fisher and Pelletier say staff disrespected them and sacred ceremonies at the camp.
When their concerns were not adequately addressed by the administration, they brought the issue to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety — which was renamed the Ministry of Community Safety in Thursday's cabinet shuffle.
Shortly after that, they were told not to come to the centre, and then fired, Fisher said.
“We were punished for protecting our ceremonies,” she said, calling the termination of their contracts on Dec. 5 “plain retaliation.”
“We brought issues up and they didn’t know how to deal with them,” Fisher said.
Since they were fired, youth at the centre do not have access to support from elders, she said.
In a statement to CBC, the ministry said it could not comment on issues related to contract work or personnel matters, but it "remains committed to cultural awareness and learning” at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre and other facilities.
“Providing education on cultural protocols to all employees is a priority and the ministry continues to review our policies to ensure best practices,” the statement said.
“The ministry is actively working to ensure Elder support is available for the continuity for youth and staff."
A spokesperson with the ministry confirmed there are now no elders employed by the facility.
According to Fisher, on Oct. 15, staff disrespected several Indigenous practices at the cultural camp, and both she and Pelletier were treated poorly.
According to them, a staff member knowingly participated in sacred ceremonies, including a sweat lodge ceremony, while menstruating.
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