timeline
The RCMP Over Time
1867
The country of Canada was formed on July 1. It was made up of only four provinces:
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
1870
Canada purchased Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory from the Hudson’s Bay Company. Together, those two areas became known as the North-West Territories.
At this time the North-West Territories were mainly occupied by Indigenous groups with their own governance and customs. There was no official police force or justice system. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, worried about what would happen when settlers moved into the region, began making plans for a police force to help keep the peace.
From 1670–1870, the Hudson’s Bay Company operated in Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory, hunting and trapping animals for the fur trade. On July 15, 1870, Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory were combined to become the North-West Territories. A small part of this land became the province of Manitoba.
1873
May 23: The Canadian government under Prime Minister John A. Macdonald passed the Mounted Police Act, which allowed for the creation of a mounted police force in the North-West Territories.
June 1: In the Cypress Hills of Alberta and Saskatchewan, a group of hunters and whiskey traders attacked an Assiniboine camp. At least 20 members of the Assiniboine First Nation were killed. This incident became known as the Cypress Hills Massacre, and reinforced the immediate need for police in the North-West Territories.
August: 150 recruits for the new police force were sent to Lower Fort Garry (an area near what is now Winnipeg). Another 150 arrived in the spring.
1874
The March West: The 300 men that made up the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) set off from Manitoba and travelled across the prairies. The red jackets they wore on this expedition would become part of the signature Mountie uniform.
The first official uniform of the North-West Mounted Police in 1874. It consisted of the iconic red jacket (known as the Red Serge), trousers, Black Wellington boots, and a pill box cap. The cap would later be replaced by the wide-brimmed Stetson hat that’s still part of the RCMP dress uniform today.
The modern-day RCMP dress uniform. (Source: Kurayba. “RCMP March.” 2012. Flickr.)
Over the next few years, the NWMP officers set up forts and outposts in what would later become Saskatchewan and Alberta, while also focusing on building relationships with the local Indigenous peoples, ranchers, and settlers.
1877
James Macleod, commissioner of the NWMP, helped to negotiate and sign Treaty No. 7 between the Crown and five First Nations:
Siksika Nation
Kainai Nation
Piikani Nation
Stoney Nadoka First Nation
Tsuut’ina Nation
James Macleod. He served as commissioner of the NWMP from 1876–1880. (Source: Chambers, E. J. The Royal North-West Mounted Police: A Corps History. 1906. Montreal, Canada.)
With plans for the Canadian Pacific Railway already underway, the government needed to sign treaties across the prairies with these First Nations in order to support settlement and allow for railway construction. After the treaty was signed, members of the First Nations were given money and cattle, and moved onto reserves.
Today it is clear that there were many misunderstandings about the purpose of the treaty. The Canadian government wanted the land in order to build the railway, whereas the Indigenous peoples thought of the treaty as a peace treaty, not a land surrender, and focussed on the long-term commitments by the government—particularly a series of promises that Indigenous communities would be provided with education and training in farming.
Map of treaties in Canada. Note the location of Treaty 7.
1885
The North-West Mounted police played a big role in the North-West Resistance of 1885.
By this time, the Indigenous peoples of the Canadian prairies were struggling. The bison they once hunted had almost disappeared, and much of their land had been signed away in treaties, while more and more settlers were starting to arrive. The Métis were facing similar issues. They too had relied on the bison herds, and were worried that the government would take away the land on which they had built homes and farms. Both groups were dissatisfied with how the Canadian government was treating them.
Some of the Métis asked the exiled politician Louis Riel to lead them in resistance. Riel had previously led an uprising known as the Red River Resistance, which resulted in the establishment of Manitoba as the fifth province of Canada.
In March of 1885, a group of Métis fought and won against over 100 NWMP officers and armed citizen volunteers near the community of Duck Lake, located in modern-day Saskatchewan. At the same time, a large group of destitute Cree raided the nearby town of Battleford. The town’s residents fled to a North-West Mounted Police post for safety.
Over the next few months, conflicts broke out across the Saskatchewan region. The Métis uprising ended in May, when Canadian military forces captured the Métis settlement of Batoche. Louis Riel surrendered and was hanged. A few weeks later, Cree chiefs surrendered to NWMP forces.
The Battle of Batoche, which was the decisive battle of the North-West Rebellion. (Source: Sergeant Grundy. The Capture of Batoche. 1885. Library and Archives Canada.)
The North-West Resistance marked the permanent enforcement of Canadian sovereignty in the West. Once it was over, and fearing further unrest following the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway and an anticipated surge in settlement, the government increased the size of the North-West Mounted Police to 1,000 men.
1887
The first Musical Ride was performed at the NWMP’s first riding school in Regina, Saskatchewan. It was an opportunity for NWMP riders to show off some of the skills and exercises they could perform on horseback. Musical Ride events are still held to this day.
1894
Inspector Charles Constantine of the NWMP was sent to examine the gold fields in Yukon, particularly along the Canada-USA border. The government was concerned about the increasing number of American miners in the area who were searching for gold. Constantine saw firsthand how Canadian law did not apply in the North—instead, it seemed to be the miners who were making the rules. The next year, Constantine returned to Yukon with 20 NWMP officers. They set up a police post in the mining camp of Forty Mile.
The North-West Mounted Police troops who were sent to Yukon. They left Regina on June 1, 1895. Charles Constantine is in the second row, fifth from the left. (Source: N.W.M.P., Original Contingent Leaving Regina June 1, 1895, for the Yukon. 1895. Ernest Brown Fonds. Yukon Archives.)
1896
The Klondike Gold Rush began when a large gold deposit was found near the Klondike River in Yukon. After the discovery, almost all of the people in the region began making their way to the Klondike basin. The next year, as news of the gold travelled south, tens of thousands of people set off for the North, hoping to strike it rich.
Thanks to Charles Constantine’s decision to establish up a NWMP post in the area, there was already a police force in place to make sure law and order was maintained during the gold rush. Over the next few years, 300 officers were stationed in Yukon.
In 1898, Constantine left Yukon. He was replaced by Sam Steele, who quickly set up check points along the routes to Dawson City, which was the centre of the gold rush. At the check points, NWMP officers made sure that each prospector brought a certain amount of food and supplies with them, in order to prevent them from dying of starvation or exposure to Yukon’s cold weather. Officers also inspected the safety of boats and rafts that people were building to travel along the rivers.
Sam Steele, one of the most famous faces of the Gold Rush. He also played important roles in the signing of Treaty 7, the North-West Resistance, and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. (Source: Steele and Company. Col. S.B. Steele commanding Strathcona’s Horse. No. 733. 1900. Library and Archives Canada.)
1897
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated to mark her 60th year as Queen. On June 22, members of the North-West Mounted Police marched in the Diamond Jubilee parade that took place in London, England. This was the first interaction between the NWMP and the Royal Family, and also the first time a detachment of the mounted police was sent overseas.
North-West Mounted Police in London, England, 1897. (Source: Gibbs, H.R. National Army Museum. 1974-11-59-6.)
1900
Many members of the North-West Mounted Police volunteered for a newly established army regiment called Lord Strathcona’s Horse to go fight in the South African War (also known as the Boer War).
Lord Strathcona’s Horse regiment in Ottawa, Ontario. March 7, 1900. (Source: Steele and Company. British Library. HS85/10/11271.)
That same year, Aylesworth Bowen Perry was appointed as the sixth commissioner of the NWMP. Prior accomplishments of his included:
Serving during the North-West Resistance in 1885;
Commanding the NWMP contingent that travelled to London for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and;
Replacing Sam Steele to command the Yukon police force in 1899.
During his time as commissioner from 1900–1923, Perry helped to modernize and reorganize the NWMP force.
Aylesworth Bowen Perry. (Source: “A.B. Perry, Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police.” Circa 1922. Glenbow Museum. CU196017/NA-23-5.)
1903
The NWMP expanded its authority above the Arctic Circle, establishing posts at:
Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories
Herschel Island, Yukon
Cape Fullerton, now in Nunavut
The three NWMP posts in the Far North.
1904
To recognize 30 years of service to Canada and the British Empire, King Edward VII added “Royal” to the force’s title, making them the Royal North-West Mounted Police (RNWMP).
1910
On December 21, a patrol of four RNWMP officers led by Inspector Frances Fitzgerald, seeking to make a record for the speed of their trip, left the Fort McPherson police post. They were heading for Dawson City to deliver mail and reports, but never arrived. Faced with brutal cold weather and lack of food, all four members died. This trip would become known as “The Lost Patrol.”
1917
After Canada entered World War I in 1914, the government began to worry about threats to national security. The RNWMP took on new roles monitoring immigrants from “enemy nations” like Germany and Austria, as well as focusing more efforts on border security. With these increased responsibilities, the force’s resources were stretched to the limit, especially in Alberta and Saskatchewan, where they were already handling extensive extra policing and administrative duties.
To lessen some of the strain on the organization, provincial police forces were formed in those two provinces. (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland already had their own provincial police forces at the time.)
Did you know?
Unlike the United States, which has many different federal law enforcement agencies that investigate different types of criminal activity (e.g. the FBI, the Secret Service, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aka. ICE), all criminal investigations in Canada are done by the police.
In Canada today there are 3 different levels of police:
1. Federal
The RCMP is Canada’s federal police force. They are responsible for investigating organized crime, protecting national security, collaborating with law enforcement agencies around the world, and more. The RCMP also provides police services under contract to all provinces and territories except Quebec and Ontario, as well as to numerous Indigenous communities across Canada. In this way, the RCMP is the only police force in the world that acts as a federal, provincial, municipal, and even international police force.
2. Provincial
In the past, many of the provinces had their own provincial police forces, but today only Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland do. Provincial police services include policing provincial highways (like the 401 in Ontario and Route 185 in Quebec) and protecting provincial leaders, as well as providing police services to communities that don’t have their own municipal police forces.
3. Municipal
Almost every big city across Canada has its own local police force. These police are responsible for handling criminal matters within their jurisdiction. Many smaller towns and rural areas don’t have their own police force, but instead have contracts with the RCMP to provide these services.
Some First Nations also have their own police force, although the RCMP does provide policing services to many other First Nations communities.
1919
Following the end of World War I, many Canadians struggled to make ends meet. Unemployment rates were high, as was the cost of food and housing, and the wages of working-class citizens were low. In Winnipeg, which was Canada’s third largest city at the time, workers decided to go on strike, in order to fight for fair wages and better working conditions. The Winnipeg General Strike would end up being one of the most famous and consequential strikes in Canadian history.
On the morning of May 15, nearly all the workers in Winnipeg (around 30,000 people) went on strike. Influential business leaders and politicians opposed the strike, and managed to convince the government that it was the beginning of some kind of Communist revolution. The government authorized the RNWMP to help suppress the strike.
The RNWMP played a big role in ending the strike. They arrested several of the strike’s leaders, and on June 21, when a protest along the city’s main street turned into a riot, the RNWMP wielded clubs and fired their weapons as a way of getting the protestors to disperse. It is estimated that over 90 people were arrested, more than 30 were injured, and 2 died. Four days later, the strike ended and workers went back to their jobs.
RNWMP charging down Main Street in Winnipeg during the protest on June 21, 1919. (Source: “Winnipeg Riot.” June 21, 1919. Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Library and Archives Canada. 1996-400 NPC.)
Although the strike was ultimately unsuccessful, it did succeed in uniting workers and strengthening the union movement. One of the strike leaders went on to found a political party known as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, which would eventually evolve into the New Democratic Party (NDP) we have today.
1920
The Winnipeg General Strike, especially the violent riot that took place on June 21, highlighted the way security issues across the country were poorly managed. In response to this, RNWMP Commissioner Perry proposed the idea of creating a new federal police force.
Up until this point, federal law enforcement and secret intelligence work had been handled by the Dominion Police, Canada’s first federal police force. The Dominion Police had jurisdiction over the entire country but mainly operated in Eastern Canada, whereas the RNWMP was responsible for maintaining order in the prairies and the North.
On February 1, 1920, the Royal North-West Mounted Police merged with the Dominion Police to form the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which exists today. After the merger, the RCMP headquarters moved from Regina to Ottawa.
1926
An RCMP post was set up at Bache Peninsula in Nunavut. From 1926–1933, this would be the northernmost permanent post in the world at the time. The post was set up to help demonstrate Canada’s control over the Arctic.
1928
Saskatchewan’s provincial police force was disbanded and the RCMP once again took over policing duties for the province.
1931
In December, RCMP officers investigated a complaint from Indigenous trappers in the Northwest Territories about a man called “Albert Johnson” (although that wasn’t his real name) tampering with their traps. When the officers went to Johnson’s cabin on Rat River to question him, this set off one of the longest manhunts in Canadian history.
Johnson refused to open the door, so the officers returned several days later with a search warrant. But as they tried to force their way into the cabin, Johnson shot one of the officers in the chest. Luckily the officer survived after being raced to the nearest hospital, and another group of police was then sent out to arrest Johnson. He held them off with gunfire, and after a 15-hour standoff in -40°C, the men had to retreat. When news of Johnson’s one-man stand reached the news, he became labelled as “The Mad Trapper of Rat River.”
Even after the police used dynamite to destroy Johnson’s cabin, they weren’t able to capture him. (Source: Cater, W.S. “Albert Johnson’s cabin on Rat River, Northwest Territories (NWT) after being destroyed by Royal Canadian Mounted Police.” 1932. Glenbow Archives. NA-1258-114.)
Returning to Johnson’s cabin one last time, police discovered that he had fled. It took several weeks to catch up with him—Johnson was a skilled outdoorsman who was quickly able to make his way through the freezing weather and hostile terrain. He was also very good at covering his tracks. When police finally did corner him, Johnson shot and killed one of the officers before escaping again.
This time, the RCMP enlisted the help of WWI pilot Wilfred “Wop” May to search for Johnson in the air. It was be the first instance of the RCMP using aircraft in a manhunt. In mid-February of 1932, May caught sight of Johnson’s trail and a few days later, more than one month after police had first set out to arrest Johnson at his cabin, he was shot and killed by an RCMP pursuit team.
To this day the Mad Trapper’s real identity remains a matter of speculation.
1932
On April 1, the RCMP assumed the responsibilities of the Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island provincial police forces.
Did you know?
Each province and territory in Canada has its own RCMP division that is responsible for federal (and, if applicable, provincial) policing.
RCMP Divisions in Canada. The National/A Division is responsible for Canada’s “capital region,” which consists of Ottawa, ON, and Gatineau, QC, as well as the surrounding area.
Also on April 1, the RCMP Marine Service was established after merging with the Canadian Customs Preventative Service (CPS)—which was Canada’s version of a border patrol at the time—in order to crack down on smuggling across the Great Lakes and Canada’s coasts. However, the RCMP had been using boats for many years before the formal creation of the Marine Service.
Later, when the Canadian Coast Guard was formed in 1962, it took over most of the RCMP’s coastal responsibilities, although today the two agencies work together to patrol the waters along the Canadian-United States border.
1933
Residential schools had been operating in Canada long before it became its own country. These schools took Indigenous children away from their homes and families—often by force—and attempted to assimilate them into European culture and worldviews.
While at the schools, children were typically not allowed to speak their own language or practice their own culture, and were punished for doing so. Many children were physically, emotionally, and sexually abused there.
In 1920, the Indian Act made it mandatory for all Indigenous children to attend residential school. Then in 1933, the RCMP were officially appointed as “truant officers” under the Act. This meant they were actively involved in capturing children who had run away or were not attending the schools and forcing them to return, although officers had actually been performing this role since the early 1920s. The RCMP also gave fines to parents who refused or resisted.
In 2004 and 2014, RCMP commissioners apologized for the RCMP’s involvement in the residential school system.
1937
As early as 1919, RCMP Commissioner Perry suggested the force use aircraft to travel between remote settlements in the North and to patrol Canada’s coastlines. However, it wasn’t until 1937 that the RCMP purchased its own aircraft and created the Air Services program.
Four de Havilland Dragonflys were the first planes purchased for the RCMP Air Services. (Source: Halford, R.G. “The first Air Service de Havilland at Downsview, Ontario.” May 4, 1937. Halford/CANAV Books Collection.)
1940
The RCMP schooner St. Roch (pronounced “Saint Rock”) set sail on its historic voyage from Vancouver on June 23, arriving in Halifax two years later on October 11, 1942. It would be the first ship to successfully travel east through the Northwest Passage.
Then on July 2, 1944, it left Halifax and travelled back through the passage to Vancouver, arriving on October 16, 1944. This second voyage would make the St. Roch the first ship to sail through the Northwest Passage in both directions, and also the first to traverse the passage in a single season.
The St. Roch leaving Halifax in 1944. (Source: Matthews, J.M. 1944. City of Vancouver Archives. AM54-S4-: LP 143.)
In 1950, the St. Roch set off from Vancouver to travel south along the coast of the United States and Mexico, through the Panama Canal, then back up to Halifax. After completing this voyage, the St. Roch became the first vessel to sail around the entire continent of North America.
The St. Roch’s routes through the Northwest Passage, as well as its route through the Panama Canal.
1966
Equestrian training was no longer mandatory for all RCMP officers. Since then, only members who are part of the Musical Ride have been given this training.
1967
David Lawrence Harding, the first Black member of the RCMP, began his training on June 30. Although Harding didn’t stay with the organization for very long (less than two years), in 1969 Hartley Gosline became the second Black member of the RCMP. He would work as a Mountie for nearly 10 years.
At this time the RCMP was not very diverse. At least two other Black men had applied to the force years earlier, but they were not accepted. Gosline recalls instances of racism during his time with the RCMP, but he was also seen as a trailblazer, especially by people in the predominantly Black community where he first served. He paved the way for other Black Canadians to join the Force.
Hartley Gosline. Source: “‘Be white by 6 AM: 50 years on, the ‘first’ Black Mountie reflects on his decade in scarlet.’” 2019. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/4985100/black-mounties/
1969
In March, the last RCMP patrol by dog sled travelled from Yukon to the Northwest Territories.
In 1994, a special silver dollar was made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this event.
Commemorative silver dollar for the 25th anniversary of the last RCMP dog team patrol. (Source: “1 Dollar – Elizabeth II, RCMP Northern Dog Team Patrol.” Numista.)
1973
In order to improve policing services in Indigenous communities, the “Indian Special Constable Program” was established to help recruit more Indigenous officers.
Up until this point, the role of policing on reserves had been handled solely by RCMP officers, with some assistance from Indigenous band constables. These band constables were not police, were not allowed to carry weapons, and didn’t have the same level of authority. They were typically locals who were hired by the community to enforce their own laws—which were different from Canadian laws—and to call in the police when necessary.
As time went on Indigenous communities wanted to have more ownership of their own policing. And so, in 1973, the “Indian Special Constable Program” was created. Through the program, Indigenous peoples were recruited and trained by the RCMP as special constables in order to police the reserves.
Indigenous peoples had been working as Special Constables with the RCMP for many years, but now those who joined the program were able to carry weapons and make arrests, although they still weren’t considered full members. They were typically paid less and were sometimes treated as “second-class citizens” by other RCMP officers. For a long time they were also not allowed to wear the famous Red Serge formal outfit.
In 1989 the Indigenous Special Constables were converted to Regular Members, meaning they were given the same status as all other police officers in the RCMP.
1974
The RCMP began recruiting women for the first time. That year nearly 300 women applied, and in September, the first all-female troop began their training. They graduated six months later, on March 3, 1975.
1982
Shelley Peters Carey enrolled in the RCMP. She was the first Black female member of the force, followed by Andrea Lawrence in 1987. (Carey’s father, Walter Peters, was the first Black jet fighter pilot to join the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961.)
Shelley Peters Carey. (Source: Smith, C.M. “First black female Mountie pushes for more diversity in senior positions.” 2017. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/first-black-female-mountie-pushes-for-more-diversity-in-senior-positions-1.4015638)
1991
Baltej Singh Dhillon became the first member of the RCMP to wear a turban.
When he first applied in 1988, the RCMP’s dress code banned turbans, requiring all members to wear a Stetson hat as part of their uniform. The turban was part of Dhillon’s religion as a Sikh, and he didn’t want to compromise his religious beliefs, but also didn’t want to give up on his dream of becoming a Mountie. Instead, he appealed to the RCMP Commissioner to change the uniform policy.
In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s government announced changes to the RCMP’s dress code that would allow Sikhs to wear turbans. In 1991, Dhillon graduated from his training and became an RCMP officer. He worked with the organization for 27 years.
Baltej Singh Dhillon wearing the RCMP uniform. (Source: Dhillon, B.S. “Baltej Dhillon Case.” 2019. The Canadian Encyclopedia.)
2012
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 60 years on the throne in 2012. Members of the RCMP travelled to London, England, for her Diamond Jubilee. There they participated in the Changing of the Guard and spent 24 hours on horseback, guarding the front of Buckingham Palace. This was the second time that the RCMP had been invited to perform this ceremony—the first was in 1897 at the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
2017
The RCMP Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) was formed to address protests against oil and gas pipelines in British Columbia. Between 2019 and 2021, the C-IRG unit conducted heavily armed raids against environmentalists and some members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation who opposed the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on their ancestral lands. The C-IRG was also involved with arresting protestors at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island who were taking a stand against the logging of old-growth forests in the area.
In March 2023, the RCMP’s external review agency opened an investigation into the actions of C-IRG. As of 2024, the review is still ongoing.
2020
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki released a statement that confirmed the existence of systemic racism within the RCMP.
“[S]ystemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included. Throughout our history and today, we have not always treated racialized and Indigenous people fairly.
Systemic racism isn't about the behaviour of a single individual or the actions of one person. It’s in the institutional structures that reflect the inequities that persist in our society. And it shows up in policies, processes or practices that may appear neutral on the surface, but disadvantage racialized people or groups.
…
Canadians value an RCMP where good people are recognized for treating people with dignity and respect and making their communities better than they were when they got there.
The RCMP will not tolerate those whose actions are not in line with our core values and will be held to account.
As an institution that is committed to modernization, the RCMP is committed to listening and respecting the lived experience of others and continuing to learn from these conversations. This is when real change will happen.”
—Commissioner Brenda Lucki
(Source: “Statement by Commissioner Brenda Lucki.” 2020. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2020/statement-commissioner-brenda-lucki.)
2022
Four members of the RCMP musical ride led Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession in London, England, representing the close relationship that the Queen had with the RCMP.
RCMP officers riding on horseback during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession on September 19. (Source: Nathan Denette. 2022. The Canadian Press.)
2023
The RCMP had a troubled history for much of the 1990s and early 2000s. From cover-ups and scandals to harassment allegations and excessive use of force, the public perception around the force has become less favourable in the new millennia.
In recent years, the RCMP has taken steps to assess the actions of its members and improve its reputation. A number of reports and investigations have been conducted, both internal and external, including:
Rebuilding the Trust: Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP (2007)
The role of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police during the Indian Residential School System (2011)
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (2019)
Broken Dreams Broken Lives: The Devastating Effects of Sexual Harassment on Women in the RCMP (2020)
Evaluation of the RCMP’s Reconciliation Actions (2022)
Report into Workplace Harassment in the RCMP (2022)
In 2023 the RCMP celebrated its 150th anniversary. Leading up to this milestone, it released a strategic plan to modernize the force, called “Vision 150 and Beyond.” Under this plan, the RCMP continues to change and evolve, striving to create positive change for the future.
2024
Through a project led by Indigenous women within the RCMP, the organization’s dress code was altered to include Indigenous ribbon skirts. These skirts would become part of the ceremonial uniform for any female Indigenous officers who choose to wear them.
Sergeant Kelly Willis, a member of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, Quebec, and Founder of the Women’s Indigenous Network, wearing the Red Serge and Ribbon Skirt. (Source: “Further information on the RCMP’s inclusion of the Ribbon Skirt into the approved ceremonial dress for Indigenous members.” 2024. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2024/further-information-the-rcmps-inclusion-the-ribbon-skirt-the-approved-ceremonial-dress?fe)
