FIJI—It began with an ocean between them—but hearts that beat to a rhythm both ancient and shared. From the shores of Turtle Island to the coral-bright coastline of Fiji, four officers from the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising Anishinabek Police Services (UCCM Police) crossed continents on a learning journey that would change the shape of their community policing.
In April, the police service sent a Staff Sergeant, a Director of Corporate Services and two Special Constables to Fiji as part of an Indigenous policing exchange. Their destination? A powerful, youth-centered initiative called Fiji Leads, home of the Just Play program—where play is not just a pastime, but a transformative tool for healing, learning, and building resilience in disaster-prone regions.
They weren’t there to teach—they were there to learn.
What they found was a deep resonance. “We are honoured to be spending time in Fiji, learning alongside incredible community partners and participating in programs focused on youth empowerment and wellness,” the team shared.
Over the course of their visit, UCCM officers connected with multiple programs including NRL in Fiji’s League for Life, Basketball Fiji’s Bula Hoops, and Get Into Rugby PLUS—each using sport not as a distraction from hardship, but as a response to it. As medicine. As movement toward wellness.
When they first arrived, the UCCM officers joined the Voice Against Violence initiative with the Raiwaqa Fliers Touch Rugby team—combining classroom-based sessions with athletic training to tackle the roots of domestic and gender-based violence. The message? It only takes one voice—your voice—to stand up, speak out, and take action.
The learning knowledge and exchange workshop was hosted by the UCCM staff. At the workshop, Fiji-based sport for development programs learned about UCCM’s approaches to programs like Lighting the Fire Within, Aambe Daamnidaa and the Tipi Project, which braid cultural reconnection with crime prevention and community care.
Because what they saw in Just Play was proof: when youth are given structure rooted in culture, play, and empathy, they bloom. They remember. They connect.
The Fijian officers, already seasoned in mobilizing quickly in remote communities after cyclones and floods, demonstrated how the Just Play model fosters communication in isolated regions, bringing joy even amid hardship. And it wasn’t just play—it was inclusive play: adapted for disabled children, grounded in studies that show how movement and games help with memory retention and emotional regulation.
These programs lit something in the visiting officers—a spark.
UCCM Police, in collaboration with local schools and after school programs are now delivering Aambe Daamnidaa sessions at home. The pilot phase launced in June will be followed by a full-scale program rollout in September.
In February, the two nations began a ‘train-the-trainer’ dialogue, laying groundwork for future collaborations. By September, the full ‘Aambe Daamnidaa’ program will launch—carrying not just methods, but a memory: of palm trees and songs, of laughter and shared stories, of learning how another Indigenous policing model found strength not through enforcement, but through engagement.
“To see the process unfold, to witness how deeply play can build trust—it was inspiring,” said Director of Corporate Services Taylor Sayers. “The team didn’t just bring home ideas. They brought home a fire.”
A fire to carry into communities. A fire to share.
And that fire, as all Anishinaabe teachings remind us, is meant to be passed on.
