James Smith: Saskatchewan First Nation will mark second anniversary of mass murder in silence

Kirby Constant, Chief of the Cree Nation, James Smith, says the second anniversary of a mass stabbing will be commemorated with a silent celebration.

Myles Sanderson killed ten people and injured 17 other First Nation members before fatally stabbing another nearby in Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon.

The shooting spree was followed by a police manhunt for Sanderson, who had retreated to a nearby wooded area. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a series of harrowing emergency alerts that kept the province on tenterhooks throughout the manhunt.

Earlier this year, families of Sanderson's victims attended a series of inquests that outlined what police knew about the events leading up to the murders, including painful details about their loved ones' deaths.

A memorial erected in the James Smith Cree Nation for Earl Burns, who drove off in a school bus to pursue Myles Sanderson after he was attacked in his home. (Rory MacLean / CTV News)Having already vented much of their grief publicly, on the eve of the event's second anniversary, James Smith residents are turning to their culture to honor those they have lost and those who played a critical role in ending the tragedy.

The First Nation is also hosting a powwow this weekend in honour of RCMP officer Heidi Marshall, who tracked down Sanderson's stolen truck during a chase before he died of a cocaine overdose in custody.

“Take him out”

Marshall described the harrowing chase through oncoming traffic on the motorway at an inquest in February examining the circumstances of Sanderson's death in police custody.

Reviewing dashcam footage of the chase and her skillful arrest of Sanderson's stolen vehicle before testifying at the inquest triggered emotions she had no time for on the afternoon of September 7, 2022.

It was an incredibly dangerous situation – driving at up to 160 kilometres per hour in the wrong lane on a busy motorway. Marshall told the inquest that she was aware that any mistake could be fatal.

Eddie Head, Myles Sanderson's uncle, told Cst. Marshall Sanderson's family supports her. (Courtesy: James Smith Cree Nation)

During the investigation, dashboard camera video recorded the RCMP commander ordering his officers to “take him out.”

Marshall replies, “Get him out?”

“If we can, we will ram the vehicle with another [police cruiser] to take him out of the game,” says the commander.

Marshall tells him they're trying, but there's too much oncoming traffic.

As soon as Sanderson moves onto the southbound lane, she intervenes and performs a so-called “pit maneuver”: she hits the rear of the stolen Chevy Avalanche with her vehicle, causing it to skid and crash into the ditch.

At one point in her testimony, Marshall had to pause 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 hit Sanderson's vehicle, she said family and personal safety were the last things on her mind – “tunnel vision” – she had to get him off the road.

The James Smith Cree Nation, located about 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, is marking the second anniversary of the murders on Saturday.

-With files from the Canadian Press