Jordin Tootoo appears in new video for RCMP anti-violence campaign

Inuk hockey star Jordin Tootoo has teamed up with the RCMP for a campaign aimed at preventing violence against women.

The NHL player from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, appears in a new public service announcement. In the video, Tootoo skates around a rink and plays hockey with some young players from Alberta's Fort McKay First Nation. He urges men and boys to step up and stop the violence.

"A cycle of abuse exists within some of our communities that is getting passed from one generation to another," Tootoo says in the video.

"We all have a role to play in preventing violence against women and girls."

Several Aboriginal representatives attended the video's launch in Ottawa Wednesday, including Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, who spoke on behalf of Pauktutiit Inuit Women's Association.

Obed said violence in Aboriginal communities is linked to a history of colonialism.

"When we say these things, I always want to preface it by saying that that does not excuse an individual from harming another individual," he said.

"It doesn't excuse us from doing what is right in our communities and in our homes and with our spouses and our children."

The public service announcement is part of the RCMP's push to promote healthy family relationships. In a press release, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson cited the "unmistakable connection" between homicide and family violence.