Elders claim they were terminated after raising concerns over breach of ceremony at Paul Dojack Youth Centre

Elders say a worker at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre breached sacred ceremony protocols, sparking calls for stronger cultural education. Donovan Maess reports.

Elders at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre claim they were dismissed from their positions after bringing forward complaints a facility employee breached sacred Indigenous ceremony protocols.

The Paul Dojack Youth Centre (PDYC) is a juvenile detention facility operated by the province in northwest Regina.

Melanie Fisher and Calvin Pelletier say they started working as elders at the centre in August. They led smudges, sweats and other traditional practices and teachings as a way to reconnect Indigenous boys to their culture.

“Our ceremonies are not performances, they are sacred,” Fisher told reporters Thursday. “They hold spiritual weight and responsibility. When our cultural protocols are violated, it affects not only the elders, it affects the youth, the spirits that we call upon and the entire community.”

“Before we start our cultural ways, we always smudge first,” Pelletier added. “At Paul Dojack, they didn’t want us to smudge. I was told they didn’t like the smell of burning sage or sweetgrass.”

The elders say a staff member at the facility participated in a sacred ceremony during a cultural camp while menstruating, something which is a serious breach of traditional practices.

“Women are very powerful when they’re on their time, and it affects our medicines from working,” Fisher said. “Because our protocol was broken, people suffered, and I can’t stress that enough.”

Fisher also claims staff threw out moose meat meant for a meal.

According to documents provided to CTV News by Fisher and Pelletier, PDYC conducted an internal review of the incident.

“Our investigation revealed some of our staff members lacked adequate knowledge and understanding of specific Indigenous ceremonial practices,” facility director Dan Elberg told Fisher in an email in November.

The investigation also said the employee: “Showed significant remorse for breaching cultural protocol during the incident.”

No disciplinary action was taken against them, something the elders felt did not address their concerns.

“I would like culture [training] to be mandatory for all employees,” Fisher said. “They don’t have to believe; they don’t have to practice them. I jut want them to understand what these boys have been through.”

In response to CTV News, the Ministry of Community Safety (formerly the Ministry of Policing, Corrections and Public Safety) said; “[It] remains committed to cultural awareness and learning within PDYC 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 ministry is actively working to ensure Elder support is available for the continuity for youth and staff,” the statement added.

“We recognize further work is needed to strengthen staff education and ensure consistent respectful engagement with sacred practices,” Elberg wrote in his email to Fisher in November. “We acknowledge the significance of these protocols and are committed to taking steps to uphold them with the respect they deserve.”

According to the provided documents, both Fisher and Pelletier were terminated without cause.

After bringing forward the concerns, they were notified Dec. 5 of their termination and were told not to return to the centre for work but, in accordance with their contracts, would be paid their regular salary until Jan. 3, 2026.

Fisher and Pelletier would like to a third-party review to take place.

“We are not asking the same people who silenced us to assess their own behaviours,” she said. “We are calling for independent eyes outside of this broken structure.”

The ministry would not comment on specific issues or details related to contracted work or personal matters, such as employee’s personal information.