SaskatchewanElders Melanie Fisher and Calvin Pelletier say their employment was terminated after they contacted the corrections ministry with concerns about breaches of Indigenous protocol at a centre-run cultural camp in the fall.Corrections ministry says it’s committed to cultural awareness at Paul Dojack centreKatie Swyers · CBC News · Posted: Dec 11, 2025 7:48 PM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Elders Calvin Pelletier, left, and Melanie Fisher speak to media on Dec. 11, 2025. They say they raised concerns about ‘a serious breach of sacred Indigenous protocols’ through proper channels before being fired. (Katie Swyers/ CBC News)Elder Melanie Fisher says she enjoyed working at Regina’s Paul Dojack Youth Centre and loved “the boys” at the facility like her own children. She and fellow elder Calvin Pelletier had a good relationship with the staff and were praised for their work, until the relationship soured over an October cultural camp, she said. Fisher and Pelletier say staff disrespected them and sacred ceremonies at the camp.When their concerns were not adequately addressed by the administration, they brought the issue to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety — which was renamed the Ministry of Community Safety in Thursday’s cabinet shuffle. Shortly after that, they were told not to come to the centre, and then fired, Fisher said.“We were punished for protecting our ceremonies,” she said, calling the termination of their contracts on Dec. 5 “plain retaliation.” “We brought issues up and they didn’t know how to deal with them,” Fisher said.WATCH | Why this sweat lodge keeper wants ceremony to be inclusive:Ann’s Eye: Why this sweat lodge keeper wants ceremony to be inclusive Ramona Nicholas, an elder and sweat lodge keeper for Neqotkuk First Nation, wants to help people on their healing journey. Since they were fired, youth at the centre do not have access to support from elders, she said. In a statement to CBC, the ministry said it could not comment on issues related to contract work or personnel matters, but it “remains committed to cultural awareness and learning” at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre and other facilities. “Providing education on cultural protocols to all employees is a priority and the ministry continues to review our policies to ensure best practices,” the statement said.“The ministry is actively working to ensure Elder support is available for the continuity for youth and staff.”A spokesperson with the ministry confirmed there are now no elders employed by the facility.‘Serious breach of sacred Indigenous protocol’According to Fisher, on Oct. 15, staff disrespected several Indigenous practices at the cultural camp, and both she and Pelletier were treated poorly. According to them, a staff member knowingly participated in sacred ceremonies, including a sweat lodge ceremony, while menstruating. Fisher said an email was sent and a meeting was held before the cultural camp, advising staff that those on their “moon time” could not participate in ceremonies. This is not permitted because of the belief that women are very powerful during that time and their participation can affect traditional medicines and prevent them from working. “It can make people sick, which happened. Our boys came out of the sweat puking,” she said. “This wasn’t a misunderstanding, it was a serious violation of spirituality.”Fisher said she was “kicked to the corner and disrespected,” and that wild moose meat she brought to the camp, which was intended for stew, was thrown out. The two elders said they tried to raise concerns respectfully through the “proper channels” at the centre, but after a written complaint to its director got no formal response by a requested date and they were unsatisfied by an internal investigation done by the center — which did not involve them — they contacted the ministry. In a Nov. 26 emailed response from the ministry, which CBC has reviewed, the two elders were told their concerns were best addressed at the facility level and the matter was delegated to the centre. Fisher said she got an email from the centre the following day, informing her that she and Pelletier were no longer allowed on the property until a scheduled meeting on Dec. 4. On Dec. 5, they were given a formal, 30-day written notice that the ministry was terminating their contracts as of Jan. 3, months before they were due to expire, Fisher said.“They retaliated and they fired us,” she said. “That’s how they dealt with the issue.” They want the province to review how cultural protocols are handled at correctional facilities in Saskatchewan.ABOUT THE AUTHORKatie Swyers is a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan, based in Regina. She is a 2021 Joan Donaldson Scholar and has previously worked for CBC Podcasts, CBC’s Marketplace, CBC’s network investigative unit, CBC Toronto, CBC Manitoba and as a chase producer for Canada Tonight on CBC News Network. You can reach her at katie.swyers@cbc.ca.
Elders say they were fired from Regina youth corrections centre for defending cultural protocol
