Policing the Plains

 .RCMP: A Century of Control and Controversy — Part 2: Policing the Plains

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the North-West Mounted Police — soon to become the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) — had firmly established themselves as the enforcers of colonial rule. Their mission was no longer just about patrolling borders; it was about controlling every aspect of Indigenous life.

The RCMP became deeply intertwined with the Indian Act, Canada’s legal framework for managing Indigenous communities. The force enforced policies that restricted mobility, criminalized cultural practices, and pressured Indigenous peoples into compliance with the settler state.

One of the most insidious tools was the pass system, which required Indigenous people to obtain written permission from the Indian agent — often enforced by the RCMP — to leave their reserves. Imagine needing a note just to visit family, attend a ceremony, or trade goods. The pass system restricted freedom and created fear, reinforcing the idea that Indigenous people were subjects to be monitored, not citizens with rights.

The RCMP also played a role in enforcing residential school attendance. They ensured that children were removed from their families and forced into schools designed to erase language, culture, and identity. Any resistance was met with intimidation, arrests, or violence. In this way, policing became a tool not just of law, but of cultural genocide.

Yet, these truths were hidden behind the façade of heroism. Public ceremonies, parades, and images of Mounties on horseback painted a picture of law and order, bravery, and civility. The contrast between image and reality was stark — a strategy that normalized oppression and silenced dissent.

Even today, the legacy of these practices is visible: Indigenous communities continue to face over-policing, systemic bias in courts, and disproportionate incarceration rates. The RCMP’s history shows how policing was never neutral — it was a method of control, and in many ways, it still is.

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Reflection Questions

1. How did the RCMP enforce the Indian Act and what were the consequences for Indigenous communities?
2. Why do you think the pass system was allowed to exist for decades?
3. How does the history of the RCMP’s involvement in residential schools affect trust between Indigenous communities and law enforcement today?

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Mini Quiz

1. What system required Indigenous people to get permission to leave their reserves?
   • A) Curfew system
   • B) Pass system ✅
   • C) Permit system
2. Which Canadian law gave the RCMP authority to enforce colonial policies over Indigenous peoples?
   • A) The Criminal Code
   • B) The Indian Act ✅
   • C) The Charter of Rights
3. What role did the RCMP play in residential schools?
   • A) Teaching students
   • B) Enforcing attendance and removing children from families ✅
   • C) Supervising meals