First Inuk RCMP cadet out of Nunavut in decades on being more than a uniform

RCMP Const. Inuuki Burke fondly remembers the time he beat a team of RCMP officers in a game of hockey in Iqaluit as a teenager.

It wasn't the glory of victory that made it memorable, but the interactions he had with the officers on that team. 

"They're all so cheerful, such great, genuine guys … and growing up watching the RCMP officers with their Red Serge, I found the Red Serge to be just one of the coolest pieces of clothing on planet Earth," he said. 

That was the day Burke realized he wanted to become a police officer himself. Last month, that dream became a reality. 

On Jan. 6, Burke graduated from the RCMP Academy in Regina, becoming the first Inuk cadet recruited out of Nunavut to do so since 2003. 

At the ceremony were his parents, as well as two former neighbours who he considers his "adopted grandparents." 

"I've come a long way from the little boy that I was back in the day," he said. 

"And the feeling you get … when you're doing your whole display and then they look at you and they're so proud of you." 

'Gruelling' training, but the 'best 6 months'

It was a long process for Burke to become an RCMP constable. After passing his entrance exam, it took him three years of paperwork and tests to get to the cadet training.

He describes that training as "the best six months of your life that you do that you never want to do again."

It's "gruelling" to be in training from 5:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. everyday for six months straight, he said. 

But now in his fourth week on the job at the Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, detachment, Burke said it was all worth it, and that he's "loving it, so far." 

Cpl. George Henrie, another Inuk officer who was part of the RCMP Academy's class of 2002, was proud to be part of Burke's graduation ceremony.

"I understood what he felt, the accomplishment, the pride, and everything he has struggled with, and all the work he put in to get to that point."

Henrie understands there are some challenges to be a police officer. It's a lengthy application process, and it's done online, which can be a barrier in some communities. But he said the RCMP is trying to take that technology to communities to overcome that issue.

There are also sacrifices you have to make for the job. Henrie moved away from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, with his daughter to avoid policing among his friends and family, and he's seen some tough things on the job. 

"But if you stick through it, it's very rewarding … and the RCMP takes care of me." 

Navigating the relationship between Inuit and police

Henrie is under no illusions about the complicated history between Inuit communities and the RCMP.

"That is somewhat of a struggle to comprehend," he said. 

But he believes that's not what the RCMP represents today – and he hopes he can prove that by "showing Nunavummiut that they have one of their own in the police." 

Burke acknowledges there can be distrust of police, but he believes it's about showing genuine care about the community. 

For starters, he wants to help coach minor hockey and to be the same positive role model that he had growing up in Iqaluit. 

"When people see me, they might just see the RCMP uniform ... I want to make sure that connection is made that I'm a human being as well."

He also has advice for others who may be thinking about joining the RCMP: start your cardio training now.