The British Columbia branch of the RCMP is joining up with 7 other divisions of the Police Force by adopting a protocol that was first introduced in Nova Scotia.
This protocol is known as the Eagle Feather Protocol, which is meant to signal the RCMP’s commitment to making the justice system more inclusive and relevant for Indigenous people.
This means that in BC, anyone involved in a court case, be they a suspect, a victim, a witness or a Police Officer, will be able to swear legal oaths on an eagle feather if they wish to, with the feather being used in the same way as a bible would be in this situation.
More information about this Protocol can be found on the Indigenous Policing Services of the BC RCMP’s website.