JAMES SMITH CREE NATION – The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation torn by a horrific series of stabbings has called for an end to violence.
This morning, Chief Wally Burns of the James Smith Cree Nation spoke alongside other First Nations chiefs, one day after RCMP apprehended a suspect.
According to Burns, words cannot explain the magnitude of what has occurred, and the many families who have lost loved ones require assistance.
Following a four-day manhunt, the key suspect in the rampage that killed ten people and injured 18 died in police custody.
According to RCMP, Myles Sanderson experienced medical discomfort immediately after being pursued in a stolen vehicle and apprehended in a ditch alongside a highway north of Saskatoon.
Sanderson’s brother Damien, the only other suspect, was found dead Monday, and RCMP says the cause for the killings may never be understood.
The RCMP and certain federal cabinet officials, including Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, are joining the Indigenous leaders.
On Wednesday evening, the First Nation gathered for the first wake since the attacks, as residents anticipate more in the coming days.
Behind the James Smith Cree Nation’s school, three teepees have been erected. They were erected in the aftermath of the stabbing assaults to allow people to hold a ceremony, find healing, and remember those who died.
Many people hugged and clasped hands as they gathered behind the school for Thursday’s talks. Many of the women were dressed in Indigenous ribbon skirts.
