Year in review 2023: James Smith Cree Nation begins healing in 2023

“I find it really important because it keeps them busy, keeps them out of trouble and gives them something to look forward to going further in their sports and education and reaching higher goals for themselves,” Dinah Marion, JSCN KidSport representative told northeastNOW.

“I think this will be really huge for our community, and I think our numbers will climb in sports. We can have more parents come forward and have the financial resources there for them.”

KidSport provides grants to kids from families facing financial barriers so they can participate in registered sports programs and ‘experience the lifelong benefits of a season of sport.

KidSport Saskatchewan gives grants of up to $500 per eligible child per year towards sports registration fees. Grants are for children and youth five to 18 years of age.

“We have so many children that come from First Nations or communities around First Nations applying for funds, so it’s wonderful to see this, it’s a watershed moment,” explained Dorothy Josephson, KidSport Saskatchewan committee member.”

During the celebration, approximately 150 students heard directly from Brett Lachance of James Smith Cree Nation on the positive influence sport has had on his life.

“Sport is definitely more than just playing and getting active, it’s also teaching you those life skills like time management and taking care of yourself,” said Lachance, a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskie track and field team.

After the presentation, the kids had the opportunity to play a handful of games and sports, including volleyball, basketball, badminton, soccer, floor hockey, and football.

Meanwhile, JSCN played host to the RCMP Musical Ride July 18. The event featured dignitary presentations and acknowledgments, along with the musical ride itself.

The healing continued in August, when James Smith Cree Nation thanked those who helped during the mass stabbing in 2022, when 11 people were killed in the First Nation and nearby Weldon. Seventeen others were injured.

The Digging Bear Drum Group helped start the day with a grand entry and flag-raising ceremony, followed by an introduction from masters of ceremonies Lawrence Joseph and Sheldon Wuttunee.

Local and provincial Chiefs were on hand for the ceremony, as were federal, provincial, and municipal government members, including local MLA Todd Goudy and Melfort mayor Glenn George.

James Smith Cree Nation Chief Wally Burns, Peter Chapman Chief Robert Head, and Chakastaypasin Chief Calvin Sanderson gave the James Smith tragedy donor thank you acknowledgement at the end of the event.

Among those thanked were the RCMP, STARS Saskatchewan, First Responders, volunteers, Rio Tinto, banks, businesses, local and First Nations governments.

“It’s a privilege to have each and every one of you here today to express our opinions, and also the resilience that we have us First Nations people, especially our community of James Smith,” said Chief Wally Burns. “I’m also very thankful to FSIN for coming up and asking us to host this gathering.

“Thanks to the knowledge keepers, our healers, elders, and also our membership. Our youth that are here are the ones that really inspire me for hope,” he added. “Hope for myself has changed, and if we grab it right now, I think we have the resilience with our young people.”

Chief Robert Head explained how families in the community are still mourning, which emphasizes that there’s still more to be done.

“We have a lot of work to do in regards to healing and moving forward in a good way and in a healthy way,” Head told northeastNOW.

“The ceremonies and these gatherings that we have here are going to help those families to reach out and get some of that support they need in order to start living healthy again and start feeling the love and the joy of this world because for the last year, it’s been very hard for everyone to smile because of what happened.”

Meanwhile, a James Smith Cree Nation artist and his paintings were featured in an exhibit in September, courtesy of the City of Melfort.

Jerry Whitehead’s was displayed at the Sherven-Smith Art Gallery in the Kerry Vickar Centre.

“Jerry [Whitehead] is another example of the creativity and talent that exists in Saskatchewan,” said Northern Lights Gallery owner Sandra Dancey (who helped bring Whitehead’s art to town).

“His work is renowned in many parts of the country so it’s exciting to have a showing of his work in Melfort, especially this time of year. We want James Smith families to know we’re thinking of them.”

Reconciliation Melfort also played a part in bringing the paintings to Melfort, as well as recently getting the city to proclaim September as truth and reconciliation month.

Whitehead is a nationally celebrated Cree artist, known for his rich surreal powwow scenes, vivid depiction of family, and ceremony.

“I find it’s gonna connect communities together,” Whitehead told northeastNOW. “I never thought I’d be doing this stuff as I was growing up, because they never had anything like this before, Native artists coming in and trying to do all these things.”

“[The tragedy] it was really emotional, a lot of those people I knew. Some I didn’t grow up with because I was away for so long, but we’re all related, so whatever happens to one family it happens to all of us,” he added.

Whitehead, a member of the Peter Chapman Band within James Smith Cree Nation, now currently resides in Vancouver, B.C.

The Melfort Mustangs wore the colour orange on Sept. 30 as a sign of reconciliation, along with Jerry Whitehead’s logo.

The logo was made with three feathers for the three bands, along with three lines on the nose for the three chiefs.

“We discussed it and we wanted to do something for truth and reconciliation,” said Hana Grace, Mustangs director of marketing and office administration. “It’s important, it’s been one year since the tragedy at James Smith happened and we want to build those relationships.”

Limited quantities will be available, with each shirt costing $30. Half the proceeds of custom orange shirts sold by the team went to the James Smith Cree Nation KidSport Program.

“Especially being able to help Indigenous kids pursue something, you know, maybe one of these kids will come and play for the Mustangs one day because we donated to their kid sports chapter and they were able to play,” added Grace.

As mentioned, JSCN became the first indigenous community in Canada to receive a KidSport chapter earlier in the year.

Whitehead said that, as well as the relationship with the Mustangs, is just getting these kids one step closer.

“I know there’s a lot of young kids that are getting into hockey, and I think this is an opportunity for them rather than just playing at the reserve level, they can move on past that and expand their own talents, so this is a great opportunity for them.”

However, the tragedy in and around James Smith in September of 2022 will be back in the spotlight in the new year.

The inquest into the 10 deaths on the First Nation and the death of one man in Weldon will be held January 15 and February 2 in Melfort.

A second inquest into how Myles Sanderson – the man who did the killings – came to die in the back of an RCMP cruiser – will take place in Saskatoon February 26-March 1.

The first inquest is discretionary but the second one into Sanderson’s death is mandatory by law as he was in police custody when he died.

On September 4, 2022, Myles Sanderson went on a killing spree, leading to the 11 deaths but also injuring 17 other people.

His brother Damien, who had partially planned the killings with him, tried to stop him and was killed early in the chain of events.

Sanderson then fled the reserve, stopped in Weldon where he stabbed and killed Wesley Petterson before managing to evade capture for several days.

He was on Highway 11 that runs from Prince Albert to Saskatoon, near the community of Rosthern, when police pulled him over and caught him.

They announced within several hours that Sanderson had died.

No details of how Sanderson came to die were released after the RCMP announced the results of their investigation into the chain of events at the end of April.

However, paNOW received information from a confidential source that he overdosed.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

by Cam Lee

Year in review 2023: James Smith Cree Nation begins healing in 2023

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