James Smith: Saskatchewan First Nation to quietly mark second anniversary of mass killings

James Smith, Cree Chief Kirby Constant, said the quiet ceremony would be a way to mark the second anniversary of the mass stabbing.

Myles Sanderson killed 10 people and wounded 17 others on First Nation land before fatally stabbing another person in Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon.

After the series of killings, a police manhunt began for Sanderson, who had taken refuge in the nearby woods. During the search, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a series of emergency alerts that shook the entire province.

Earlier this year, the families of Sanderson’s victims attended a series of coroner’s inquests to establish what police know about the events leading up to the killings, including painful details about how their loved ones died.

A monument has been erected in the James Smith Cree Nation to honor Earl Burns, who drove off in a school bus in pursuit of Myles Sanderson after being attacked at his home. (Rory MacLean/CTV News)The people of James Smith, who have already experienced much of their grief in the public eye, are turning to their culture on the eve of the second anniversary to honor those they lost as well as those who played a key role in bringing an end to the tragedy.

The First Nation is also hosting a rally this weekend in memory of RCMP officer Heidi Marshall, who stopped Sanderson’s stolen truck during a pursuit before he died in custody of a cocaine overdose.

“Take him out”

Marshall described the harrowing chase through oncoming traffic on the motorway during a February coroner’s inquest into the circumstances of Sanderson’s death in police custody.

Reviewing dashcam footage of the chase and swift stopping of Sanderson’s stolen vehicle before testifying at the inquest stirred emotions she had no time for on the afternoon of September 7, 2022.

It was an incredibly dangerous situation — driving at up to 100 miles per hour in the wrong lane on a busy motorway. Marshall told the inquest she was aware that any mistake could be fatal.

Eddie Head, Myles Sanderson’s uncle, told Sergeant Marshall Sanderson that the family supports her. (Courtesy of James Smith Cree Nation)

In the dashcam footage, the commander of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) can be heard ordering his officers to “get him.”

Marshall responds, “Take him out?”

“If we can, let’s ram the vehicle with another one (police car) to eliminate it from the game,” says the commander.

Marshall tells him that they’re trying, but there’s too much traffic coming from the other direction.

As soon as Sanderson crossed into the southbound lane, she pulled over and performed what is known as a “pit stop maneuver,” striking the rear of a stolen Chevrolet Avalanche, causing it to spin out and go into a ditch.

At one point during her testimony, Marshall had to stop because her voice was choked with emotion. Wiping tears from her eyes, she told the inquest that she had always wanted to be a mother.

“I have two small children at home,” she said.

When she rammed Sanderson’s car, she said family and personal safety were the last things on her mind — the “tunnel vision” — she needed to get him off the road.

The James Smith Cree Nation, located about 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, marks the second anniversary of the killings on Saturday.

-With files from Canadian Press