Alberta police agencies waive fees for people reclaiming Indigenous names

A tipi in front of RCMP K Division in Edmonton in a file photo. (Source: RCMP)

In an act of reconciliation, the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) announced a new initiative Tuesday that will remove barriers for people reclaiming their Indigenous names.

It said all police services in the province have agreed to waive fees for criminal record checks and fingerprints, two things that are required to obtain a legal name change.

The policy is "in recognition of not only the historical trauma but to acknowledge the living trauma of the Survivors of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop."

"As policing agencies across Alberta, seeking to remove barriers for this powerful reclamation is one way we can continue together toward truth and only then, reconciliation," said an AACP news release.

"This work is ongoing and will strive towards restoring trust and confidence in policing among Indigenous people and in communities across the province."

The Alberta government already waives name-change fees for survivors of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop and their family members.

Edmonton Police Service started waiving criminal record check and fingerprint fees for Indigenous name reclamations in 2021.

The initiatives support a call to action recommended by The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.