Glen Bannon
Chief of Police, Anishinabek Police Service, Garden River, ON. Chief Bannon has served as Police Chief of the Anishinabek Police Service since the inception of the organization in 1994. He has a 27 year career in policing, both with the OPP and also in his home community of Fort William First Nations. His dedication to policing is evident through his involvement in numerous policing associations including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association.

Chantal Bernier
Assistant Deputy Minister, Community Safety and Partnerships Branch, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Ottawa, ON. After acting as a lawyer for Makivik Corporation, representing the Inuit of Nunavik, Ms Bernier joined the Department of Justice Native Law Section and later the Constitutional and International Law Section. Her subsequent career includes working at the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Privy Council Office and, most recently, for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as Assistant Deputy Minister, Socio-Economic Policy and Programs.

Professor Michael Coyle
Faculty of Law, University of Western Ontario, London, ON. Prior to joining the Faculty of Law in 2000, Prof. Coyle practised with the law firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and, from 1989-2000, acted as Senior Counsel to the Indian Commission of Ontario. He has mediated a number of important land claim settlements, resource agreements, and policing agreements between the Crown and First Nations. Together with Prof. Alan Grant, he successfully facilitated the first Ontario-wide Tripartite Policing Agreement.

Sergeant Shirley Cuillierrier
Project Manager, Aboriginal Strategy, Performance Management Unit, RCMP, Ottawa, ON. Sgt. Cuillierrier is a First Nations Mohawk from Kanesatake. She is married with two young children and lives in Ottawa. A member of the RCMP for 22 years, she has spent 14 years working in Atlantic Canada communities in a variety of police duties. In her capacity as an RCMP peace officer, and as a volunteer, she has invested much of her time working with children, youth and family violence issues.

Peter Fisher
Director General, Aboriginal Policing Directorate, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Ottawa, ON. Mr. Fisher has served in his current position since 1998. His government career spans over 35 years and 6 departments including Correctional Services Canada as an institutional counsellor; Indian and Northern Affairs as a land claims negotiator in both BC and the Yukon; and Environment Canada where he was responsible for managing corporate policy issues.

Corporal Dean Fontaine
Gang Awareness Unit, RCMP, Winnipeg, MB. Cpl. Fontaine is an Ojibway from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. He has been with the RCMP for 20 years, serving in a number of capacities including several postings in First Nations. For the last four years he has worked with the Gang Awareness Unit with the aim of providing community based gang prevention, intervention and educational programs to First Nations across Canada.

Inspector Ron George B.A., LL.B., LL.M.
OPP, Orillia, ON. Insp. George is an Ojibway member of the Kettle & Stony Point First Nation. He began his career 29 years ago as a constable with the OPP First Nations Policing Branch. From 1992-1997, he left policing to practise law in his home community. In 1997, he returned to the OPP and has since taught Aboriginal Law and Aboriginal Justice Concepts at Ontario law schools. He also acts as Aide de Camp to Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor and maintains a strong focus on understanding indigenous law and reinstituting the associated justice parameters back into aboriginal communities.

Grandfather William Commanda
Elder, Algonquin Nation of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (River Desert Band), QC. Grandfather Commanda was born in 1913 and like his great grandfather hereditary Chief Pakinawatik, he is also a keeper of several Algonquin wampum belts. He was Chief of his band for 19 years, a guide, trapper, woodsman, and a builder of birchbark canoes. He is a respected spiritual leader and the recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to creating racial harmony.

Hon. Mr. Justice Harry LaForme
Superior Court of Justice, Province of Ontario, Toronto, ON. Justice LaForme is a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation. He was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice Ontario in 1994 and is one of only three aboriginal, federally-appointed judges in Canada. He has previously been Commissioner of the Indian Commission of Ontario, Chair of the Indian Claims Commission and has served as co-chair on the independent National Chiefs Task Force on Native Land Claims. Justice LaForme has taught courses on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Glenn Lickers
Chief of Police, Six Nations Police Service, Ohsweken, ON. Chief Lickers is a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. He began his career in policing with the RCMP in 1976 and left in 1983 at the request of his Band Council to help police his own community, which shortly thereafter formed the Six Nations Police Service, the first stand alone First Nations police service in Canada. Chief Lickers has also been part of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association since its inception and is currently serving a term as Vice-President.

Corporal Rob Lockhart
Gang Awareness Unit, RCMP, Thompson, MB. Cpl. Lockhart is a 16 year member of the RCMP, with all of his service having been completed in the Northern District of Manitoba. He has worked in positions of general detachment member in areas of rural, municipal, and community policing, prior to being seconded to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak for two years on First Nation Policing initiatives. Cpl. Lockhart was a recipient in 1999 of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General’s Manitoba Crime Prevention Award.

Wesley Luloff
Chief of Police, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, Thunder Bay, ON. Chief Luloff is an Ojibway from Long Lake 58 First Nation in Ontario. He served with the RCMP from 1972 to 1994 when he retired to join the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service where he took over as Chief of Police in 1998. He served in several different Provinces and in many capacities while with the RCMP and was awarded the RCMP Commissioner’s Commendation for Bravery in 1986 and Long Service Medal in 1992. He is the Past President of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association and sits on numerous other policing boards as well.

Lewis Mitchell
Chief of Police, Akwesasne Mohawk Police, Akwesasne, QC. Chief Mitchell is a Mohawk, born and raised in Akwesasne. He began his career with the Akwesasne Mohawk Police as a Detective and Constable and has served as Chief of Police for the past 8 years. In that period, his community has experienced conflict situations to which his police force has responded, often in partnership with other policing authorities, including the “Day of Rage” over the G8 Summit in 2001. He is also involved in the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association and other policing associations.

Corporal Wayne Russett
Aboriginal & Ethnic Liaison Officer, National Capital Region, RCMP, Ottawa, ON. Cpl. Russett has been a member of the RCMP for 24 years and has served in numerous positions. In his current role, he assists ethnic and aboriginal communities through community based policing initiatives, cultural sensitivity training and partnership building. He is a former Hostage Negotiator and Alternate Dispute Resolution Mediator.

Inspector Glenn Trivett
B.A., OPP, Orillia, ON. Insp. Trivett was born and raised in Jackson’s Point, Ontario, and has been involved in policing for 18 years. He is currently the manager of the OPP First Nations Programs Branch and was recently appointed a member of the Governor General’s Order of Merit for Police Forces. Insp. Trivett is a traditional pipe carrier with particular responsibilities to teach young men about healthy relationships.

Chief Jean-Guy Whiteduck
Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, Maniwaki, QC. Chief Whiteduck has been the Chief of Kitigan Zibi, an Algonquin community of approximately 2600 people situated north of Ottawa, since 1976. He was Chief in the early 1980s when his community moved to an independent police force and has worked closely with the Kitigan Zibi Police Commission since then. The Kitigan Zibi Police Department is one of the oldest stand-alone First Nations police services in Canada.