James Smith Cree Nation to quietly mark second anniversary of mass killing event

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James Smith Cree Nation Chief Kirby Constant says a quiet feast will acknowledge the second anniversary of a mass stabbing.

Myles Sanderson killed 10 people and injured 17 others on the First Nation before fatally stabbing another nearby in Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon.

A police manhunt for Sanderson followed the killing spree, as Sanderson decamped to a nearby wooded area, with the RCMP issuing a jarring series of emergency alerts that gripped the province throughout the search.

Earlier this year, the families of Sanderson’s victims attended a series of coroner’s inquests that outlined what police know about the events leading up to the killings, including painful details about their relatives’ deaths.

Having already played out much of their grief in the public eye, on the eve of the second anniversary of the event, James Smith residents are turning to their culture to honour those they’ve lost, and those who played a vital role in putting an end to the tragedy.

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

'Take him out'

Marshall described the harrowing chase through oncoming highway traffic in a February coroner’s inquest examining the circumstances of Sanderson’s death in police custody.

Reviewing the dash cam footage of the chase and her deft takedown of Sanderson’s stolen vehicle prior to her inquest testimony triggered emotions she had no time for on the afternoon of Sept. 7, 2022.

It was an incredibly dangerous situation — driving up to 160 kilometres an hour down the wrong lane on a busy highway. Marshall told the inquest she was aware that any mistake could be fatal.

In the dash cam video, the inquest heard the RCMP commander instruct his constables to “take him out.”

Marshall responds — “take him out?”

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

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

As soon as Sanderson crosses over to the southbound lane, she moves in and executes what’s called a “pit maneuver,” using her vehicle to nudge the back of the stolen Chevy Avalanche, causing it to spin out and careen into the ditch.

At one point in her testimony, Marshall had to pause as her voice choked with emotion. Dabbing tears from her eyes, she told the inquest she always wanted to be a mother.

“I have two little kids at home,” she said.

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

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

-With Canadian Press files