Const. Inuuki Burke becomes the new Inuk RCMP officer on the streets of Cambridge Bay. (Photo courtesy of RCMP)
First Nunavut Inuk RCMP officer in two decades getting used to the red serge
Const. Inuuki Burke is a new graduate of the RCMP Academy posted to Cambridge Bay
Inuuki Burke is getting used to his new title.
“I still feel so weird to write constable in my emails,” he said in an interview.
“I’m so used to writing cadet for the past six months. Constable — oh my goodness, that is crazy.”
Burke is the first Inuk cadet out of Nunavut to graduate from the RCMP Academy, Depot Division, in Saskatchewan since 2003 — the same year the 21-year-old was born.
Burke graduated from the academy in Regina on Jan. 6, with his family present along with Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok and Nunavut RCMP’s commanding officer Chief Supt. Andrew Blackadar.
From left, RCMP Const. George Henrie, Justice Minister David Akeeagok, Nunavut RCMP commanding officer Chief Supt. Andrew Blackadar, Const. Inuuki Burke, Premier P.J. Akeeagok and Sgt. Maj. Pauline Melanson pose for a photo at Burke’s graduation ceremony from the RCMP Academy on Jan. 6. (Photo courtesy of Nunavut Premier’s Office)
Burke recalled a comment made to him earlier by Cpl. George Henrie of the Iqaluit RCMP detachment, who is also Inuk.
“He said to me, while we were in the process, ‘You’re gonna be a big deal when you graduate depot.’”
“It gave me an extra incentive to get through depot,” Burke said.
“It’s the best six months of your life that you never want to do again,” he said of his time at the academy.
Cadets are kept busy and almost never leave the depot for six months straight, he said.
They’re out of bed each day at 5:30 a.m. and study and go through training from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After supper, they do their homework and finish their days at around 10 p.m.
“But the light at the end of the tunnel is very much worth it,” he said.
Burke said his love for the RCMP started when he was a kid playing on the streets of Iqaluit.
“Mounties were always there, and I always looked up to them because they kept us safe,” he said.
“And I also love the way the red serge looks,” he said of the Mounties’ ceremonial dress uniform. “I thought it was so cool. Such an iconic look.”
At 15 years of age, he joined the men’s hockey league and played a few games with and against Iqaluit RCMP officers.
“It was so nice to be around them, and at one point I was like, yeah, I’ll be a Mountie as well,” he said.
A few years later, he applied to the academy so that one day he could wear the red serge himself.
When he told his family he wanted to join the police, his little brother looked at him and said it made sense that Burke would be the one in the family to do it.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m just that kind of person,” he said.
“It takes a special type of crazy to be a cop, and I guess I’m that special type of crazy.”
For the past month, Burke has been posted in Cambridge Bay.
He said he has had a great start, with people waving at him on the streets and recognizing the famous new officer.
He often sees kids who, like him a few years ago, look at the uniform with “gleaming eyes” and come up to chat.
Burke said he also still comes across people who “completely hate the police,” but they are the minority.
“They can be a little bit of a downer, but that’s just the nature of the job, right?”
No DEI hires at Rcmp they are all treated equal and must show strength determination and grit. No showing up half hour late and no making excuse about my machine didnt start.
No wonder so many would rather just get a high pay DEI “direct appointment” job in nunavut?
Are you a cop? Did you do the rigorous six months of training he did? Way to do a bummer of a post after such an inspiring article. Way to go, Cst. Burke. We are proud of you, and you are famous for sure. Congratulations.
Yes and hope he is a inspiration to other inuit congrats to this young man !!
You have misread the post. You are both saying the same thing.
DEI isn’t about hiring unqualified minorities ahead of qualified white people. The purpose of DEI is to ensure that unqualified white people don’t get hired ahead of qualified minorities.
You only have to look at the current White House Press Secretary. She’s barely qualified to be a radio DJ, she has no formal education, and her only relevant experience was being an intern with Faux News.
The previous White House Press Secretary had multiple degrees including a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University. She also has a tonne of relevant experience both in the public sector and private sector.
Anytime a job ad say “preference will be given to people of a marginalized group”, like minority, aboriginal, LGB person, that is how DEI hire works. Even if the person is less qualified than the not DEI person they will get the job because DEI you need to watch new Mat Walsh movie to understand
Maybe trusting Mat Walsh was your first mistake… it’s not exactly an unbiased source.
It takes commitments and determinations including hard work to get where you want to be in life, congratulations to you Const. Inuuki for your success.
One time Mr Akeeagok, his grand kids and their friends camped at the same spot I was at, Inuuki helped me carry caribou back to camp. Real helpful and eager to learn is what I sensed from him and I’m glad to see he is now reaching his goals. Hopeful for the future of Nunavut with guys like him around