A Message From the Chair - Jim Potts

A few short years ago I attended a traditional gathering in Northern Ontario. Many tribes had gathered from across this land that we know as Turtle Island. For four days ceremonies were held, legends told, dancers danced and drummers drummed late into the night. Moosemeat, pickerel, wild rice and bannock were the order of the day. During the last evening, the organizers held the sacred ceremony that our people stole from the Catholic Church: bingo. The much coveted grand prize of $10,000 was eventually won by an elder from Manitoba. As she could not afford otherwise, she had come to the gathering in a community bus, along with thirty two others. The bus left for home at 6:00 a.m. the following morning. After about one hour on the road each passenger received a small envelope containing their equal share of the prize money. This forum is designed to carry on that tradition, the tradition of sharing. Welcome all!

Jim Potts, O.O.M., Inspector of the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Retired, Ottawa, ON. Insp. Potts is an Ojibway from Temiskaming First Nation, ON. He retired from policing in 2002 after 45 years of service, including 24 years of operational experience and 12 years as a liaison officer with the Mohawk Warriors. He has acted as a mediator during various major First Nations disputes, travelling extensively across Canada and internationally. He was the first Status Indian to receive a Commission in the RCMP’s 125 year history and is the recipient of numerous awards. From 1996 to 1999 he was Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, at the University of Western Ontario. In 2002, he was appointed “Officer of the Order of Merit” for Police Forces by Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada. Insp. Potts currently lives in Ottawa, has been married to his wife Roberta for 41 years, and is the proud father of their daughter Kerry.