‘Our work does not stop here’: Family of missing Edmonton teen Samuel Bird speaks at search command post

The family of missing 14-year-old Samuel Bird gave an update on the search Saturday at the Dawson Park command post. Bird has been missing since June 1.

Dawson Park was filled with supporters Saturday afternoon as the mother of an Indigenous teen who has been missing for almost four months gave an update on ongoing search efforts and recent developments.

Samuel Bird, 14, has been missing since June 1 and was last seen in Edmonton’s Canora neighbourhood.

His family and volunteers have been searching the North Saskatchewan River and other areas he’s been known to frequent in both west and south Edmonton.

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Dawson Park is home to a 24-hour command post where volunteer searchers can keep track of mapping and logistics.

It was there that Bird’s mother, Alanna, gave an update on the search Saturday afternoon.

She said she knows as much as the public does in terms of the police investigation.

“We acknowledge that the Edmonton Police Department has taken steps to follow through on the tips and information shared,” she said.

“We appreciate their efforts in seeking justice for my son, Samuel. But our work does not stop here.”

Police began calling his disappearance suspicious in August after a statement from the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations called for police to designate Bird’s case as a search and recovery mission.

On Thursday, police executed a search warrant on a home in relation to Bird’s disappearance.

They would not provide any other details about the search warrant.

Officers previously said they were investigating alleged videos and images of a violent nature sent to the family to determine their authenticity.

“I know that the house was raided, and I hear [police] are still there … It was a long time coming,” Alanna told the crowd.

“I just hope that whoever’s involved comes forward, because they’re going to get caught anyway.”

She also took the time to thank volunteers in the community for their “heartwarming” support and search efforts and said aside from continuing the search, the public can continue to share her son’s missing posters in a positive way to spread awareness.

“We aren’t going to give up looking for my son. We’ll always be searching, if it’s the middle of winter or spring. I just hope it doesn’t last that long,” she said.

Samuel’s kôhkom, or grandmother, spoke after Alanna Bird publicly for the first time. She said she worries every day for missing Indigenous people and thought speaking out might make a difference.

“There are other missing people that we know of. I pray for those also. I wish I could speak my language, my Cree language, which is more meaningful than speaking this foreign language,” she said.

“That’s all I’m going to say. Find him.”

Dakota Bear, a lead organizer for the search effort, said Bird’s identity goes far beyond being a missing Indigenous person.

“As Indigenous people, we do have a lot of the issues that we face, but we’re just really focused on the fact that Samuel’s a teenage boy. That’s who he was, and what happened to him was tragic,” he said on Saturday.

Dawson Park Command Post, he added, grew as volunteers came far and wide to track areas that have been searched.

There are over 100 searchers adding, tracking and mapping data of the land and water.

“Samuel is loved. He is more than just a case number,” Alanna Bird said.

“Justice will prevail, and we will not stop until my son is brought home.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall