Max Pahtayken
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Daily Herald
“In Honour, In Healing. Our Spirits Still Dance,” James Smith Cree Nation honours families of 2022 stabbing victims and survivors during their annual powwow.
“This was just something that I saw that needed to be addressed,” said Cierra Twist, James Smith Cree Nation Community Events Coordinator. Twist is also a victim’s daughter, and sister of a survivor of the tragedy that occurred in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon in 2022. “Our survivors were really struggling, and I feel that this uplifted them, and maybe now they’ll start healing.”
During the early morning of September 4, 2022, Myles Sanderson killed 11 people, 10 community members, including his own brother, and one man from Weldon, and attacked 17 others during the rampage in James Smith Cree Nation.
Sanderson fled, and Saskatchewan conducted a province-wide manhunt that lasted four days. Sanderson was reported in Wakaw, and later arrested on Highway 11 towards Rosthern, where he died due to acute cocaine overdose in police custody on September 7.
Community members Damien Sanderson (31, Myles’ brother), Robert Sanderson (49), Christian Head (54), Lana Head (49), Gregory Burns (28), Earl Burns Sr. (66), Thomas Burns (23), Carol Burns (46), Bonnie Goodvoice-Burns (48), Lydia Gloria Burns (61), and Welsey Petterson (78, Weldon community member), all lost their lives during the tragic killing spree.
“Security was a really big piece to the safety of our community,” Twist said. “A lot of people were on edge for a very long time.”
Twist said that usually the community hosts their annual powwow in July, but had moved the gathering to September to honour the tragedy. The traditional powwow took place September 4-6, with Friday Sep. 4 being the four year anniversary of the tragedy.
On Friday, the gathering began with pipe and flag ceremonies, then Treaty Day Annuity Distribution, and a Honouring Ceremony at 4p.m. where the families of victims and survivors were acknowledged and honoured by the community, first nation and government leadership.
The planning for the honouring ceremony began one month before the powwow, with four organizers and a small meeting and few attendees.
“We really pulled together and we got this done, there were four of us coordinating this commemoration,” Twist said. “We had a lot of support, we had a lot of people helping us gather things.”
Twist explained how two women from the community had made star blankets and Dr. Kathy Walker, the Treaty Commissioner had also donated some blankets for the event.
The families of the victims and survivors were honoured with star blankets, a medicine box, and a monetary donation.
Emcee, Chelsea Stonestand, relative of one of the victims spoke about the tragedy, Treaty Commissioner Dr. Kathy Walker and Buckley Belanger Secretary of State Rural Development were present, along with First Nations leadership James Smith Cree Nation Chief Kirby Constant, Peter Chapman Band Chief Robert Head, Chakastaypasin First Nation Chief Calvin Sanderson and Prince Albert Grand Council Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.
“It was difficult for a lot of us, they were all happy to be honoured and to receive something, it was a long time coming,” Twist said. “It was so important to me to do something, because my dad would have done the same thing if he was here. I got a big heart from him.”
Following the honouring ceremony, a community feast and the first Grand Entry of the weekend began.
“(With) the powwow being big, it is emotional for me because this is the fourth and final year,” Twist said. “It’s four years that our loved ones have been gone. I think our people are starting to heal, and this is our biggest powwow yet in the last four years. It just shows me that people are healing and they’re coming out, and ceremony is where you’re going to find healing.”
Twist guessed that there were around 890 dancers on Saturday night, and plenty of people were present for the honouring ceremony, way more than she expected. The weekend featured around 51 specials, which included a special for each category, and memorial specials in their final year hosted by families of the victims.
The Head/Marion Family hosted a Women’s Golden Age 55+ Traditional Special on Friday, the Burns Family hosted a Mother and Son Special on Saturday, and the Earl Burns Sr. Men’s Chicken 18+ Special on Sunday.
“I feel a bit relieved, four years is heavy,” Twist said. “You do a lot of healing in those four years, and maybe now we can start celebrating their life, and getting out of your shell. Visiting people, offering that support to the ones who are struggling, offering programs and supports. Now I see, after we gathered everybody, I saw the families, who to contact and who to check up on. We’re not going to be so much on edge now.”
Moving forward, Twist talked about plans for a Memorial Site in the community where people can go to gather and heal together.
“I think this memorial site will really be a good cause for our people,” Twist said. “They’re going to go and gather there for birthdays, and memorial days, and maybe we can start having support circles.”
A photo of a Women’s Jingle Dress Dancer in James Smith Cree Nation during their annual powwow, where the nation honoured the lives lost and the survivors of the mass stabbing rampage in the community in 2022.
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