Local and provincial leaders are calling for more First Nations policing in Saskatchewan in the wake of a stabbing spree in the province that drew national and international attention. Ten people were killed and 18 injured – not counting the two accused – in the stabbings in the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby village of Weldon last Sunday, which also sparked a days-long manhunt across a large swath of Saskatchewan. It ended Wednesday when Miles Sanderson, 32, the prime suspect in the violent attacks, died after suffering medical complications shortly after his arrest. His brother Damien Sanderson, 31, who also faced charges over the attacks, was found dead on Monday. At a news conference Thursday, James Smith Cree Nation Chief Wally Burns said the community needs its own tribal justice system, including some form of police force. “We have to make it loud and clear that we mean business. We have to protect our people,” Burns said. “We need to protect them, because no people in Canada should be afraid to go from here to there.” WATCHES | First Nations leaders call for First Nations police service:
Demands on First Nations police services after the Saskatchewan killings
Calls are growing for dedicated First Nations police services after a series of stabbings in Saksatswan that left 10 people dead, including nine members of the James Smith Cree Nation. He envisions a police force that will work hand-in-hand with the RCMP, which currently serves the community. This would not only benefit James Smith but also the communities around the Cree Nation, the chief said. Darryl Burns, whose sister Gloria Lydia Burns was among those killed in the attacks, said he fully supports having a police force in his hometown. “One of the things I always talk about with these murders that happened here in our community, they were spread over many different periods of time,” he said after Thursday’s news conference at the James Smith Cree Nation — a joint conference that included local Indigenous leaders along with representatives from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the RCMP and the provincial government. “So if the cops had responded to the first call, would some of these people still be alive?” Darryl Burns, of the James Smith Cree Nation, was among those at Thursday’s news conference. Gloria Lydia Burns, his sister, was among 10 people killed in the stabbings on Sunday, September 4. (Karen Pauls/CBC) RCMP officers were first notified of the stabbing at 5:43 a.m. CST on Sunday, September 4th. Officers were dispatched three minutes later and arrived at the first scene at 6:18 a.m., about 35 minutes after the first call. Darryl Burns’ concerns about response times were echoed at Thursday’s conference by Prince Albert Grand Council Grand Chief Brian Hardlott, who said it’s a common sentiment in First Nations communities. “Many times [community] members make a call to some of the [RCMP] quotes, [but] Their call goes all the way to Regina. Just imagine the response time to that,” Hardlotte said. “There are models out there where they have peacekeepers, they have community safety officers. Some communities just call them community wardens. Those are models that work with the RCMP today to make the community safe.” Hardlott pledged to work with the communities that make up the Greater Prince Albert Council to design community safety strategies, work he said was already underway. Brian Hardlott is the Grand Chief of the Prince Albert Grand Council, which represents the James Smith Cree Nation. Work is underway to begin a feasibility study on First Nations policing among the 12 communities the council represents, he said. (Bryan Eneas/CBC) People from the James Smith Cree Nation presented Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe with a medal during Thursday’s press conference. He was asked if, by accepting the gift, he was showing he would keep his promises to support the Cree nation’s calls for a First Nations police force in the community. Moe said it should, and added that all levels of government — local, provincial and federal — should be involved in these discussions.
We must “redouble our efforts”: Security Minister
In an interview with CBC News on Friday, the federal public safety minister said the Liberal government has already taken steps to address First Nations policing. Marco Mendicino said more than $850 million, over a five-year period, was dedicated to supporting police and security services in Indigenous communities in the 2021 federal budget. That includes more than $43 million to co-develop legislation that would recognize First Nations policing as an essential service — work that will happen with local, regional and national First Nations groups, Mendicino said. But the events of the past week show that not enough has been done, he said. “We have made some progress, but this is not the time to pat ourselves on the back,” the minister said. “I think we really need to redouble our efforts.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe met briefly with survivors when he attended Thursday’s news conference at the James Smith Cree Nation. Community members and leaders called for a First Nations-led police service. (Bryan Eneas/CBC) He said 13 virtual engagement sessions had already been held to help guide that work, and a first report – a “what we heard” document – would be published later this month. Mendicino said he looks forward to seeing work done on First Nations policing to prevent further tragedies and is working with his ministers from Indigenous Services to do that, while taking into account the needs of each individual community. “We’re at the table and we’re going to take every avenue possible to make sure we deliver not only more Indigenous-led policing initiatives … but also make sure it lands in a way that really reflects all of those reconciliation principles,” he said.
Policing for First Nations by First Nations
Saskatchewan already has a First Nations police service. The File Hills First Nations Police Service was established in 2002 and serves five Treaty 4 communities in Saskatchewan Territory: Okanese, Peepeekisis, Carry the Kettle, Star Blanket and Little Black Bear. Const. Kelsey Starblanket Jr., of the Star Blanket Cree Nation, northeast of Regina, said he wanted to be a police officer since he was four years old. That’s when he visited the RCMP Heritage Center and saw himself in a red serge, and immediately knew his calling. He began his career two years ago with the File Hills First Nations Police Service. Const. Kelsey Starblanket Jr., 25, began his career with the File Hills First Nations Police Service two years ago. (Sam Samson/CBC) “One of the advantages [of being an Indigenous officer] it’s that I know the people,” he told CBC News on Friday. “If I don’t know them, it’s easy for me to find out who they are or where they’re from just by talking to people I know. That relationship I’ve built always helps me when I’m monitoring calls.” He believes the police service will expand and work in more communities, because that is what is needed: First Nations policing by First Nations people. Starblanket’s sentiments were shared by File Hills Police Chief Paul Avanthay, who said he believes public safety is a basic right that every person in Canada should have, including First Nations people in their communities. His police force offers more stability for communities than the RCMP, he said, which has “members that move in and out on a constant basis,” adding that he believes the File Hills model could be replicated elsewhere. “The model we’re building is that our members are from those communities and have that investment and that stake in those communities.” Support is available for anyone affected by the latest reports. You can speak with a mental health professional through Wellness Together Canada by calling 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. It’s free and confidential. The Hope for Wellness Hotline offers immediate help to Indigenous people across Canada. Mental health counseling and crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-855-242-3310 or via online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
