WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
The public inquest into the stabbing massacre at James Smith Cree Nation continues on Tuesday after picking its jurors and beginning to hear from one witness on its opening proceedings the day before.
The inquest — the longest and largest ever planned in Saskatchewan — will examine the events on Sept. 4, 2022, when Myles Sanderson, a James Smith community member, killed 11 people and attempted to kill 17 others. All of the victims were attacked on James Smith Cree Nation, except one elderly man who was killed at his home in the nearby village of Weldon.
It is meant to provide a public and factual account of what happened in the hours leading up to the violent attacks as well as the event itself, according to Saskatchewan’s chief coroner Clive Weighill.
When the inquest reconvenes on Tuesday, Staff Sgt. Robin Zentner, who works with the RCMP’s major crimes unit, is expected to continue giving evidence.
On Monday, he took the jury back in time, describing how Myles and Damien (Myles’s brother and victim) interacted with several people on James Smith Cree Nation in the days leading up to the massacre. Zentner shared text messages sent by Damien that Zentner said gave police insight into the escalating violence and chaos.
The three-week inquest, scheduled to end on Feb. 2, is also supposed to honour the victims of the attack and allow the jurors a chance to provide recommendations to prevent similar tragedies from happening.
On Monday, the eight jurors were chosen — six who are tasked with making recommendations and two alternates — some of whom are Indigenous.
Saskatchewan’s Chief Coroner says he could have mandated an all-Indigenous jury for the inquest into the mass stabbing in and around James Smith Cree Nation, but chose not to after consulting with the community and victims’ families.
About 30 witnesses are expected to give statements and answer questions from the jurors and others who have “standing” at the inquest, including James Smith Cree Nation, relatives of the deceased, the RCMP, the Correctional Service of Canada, the Parole Board of Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
Support is available for people affected by this tragedy. The Hope for Wellness hotline offers immediate help to Indigenous people across Canada. Mental health counselling and crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
You can talk to a mental health professional via Wellness Together Canada by calling 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. It is free and confidential.
Talking Stick is a Saskatchewan-based free anonymous chat platform that connects people seeking emotional support to a trained Indigenous peer advocate 24/7.