People of James Smith Cree Nation ask for prayer after stabbings: Bishop
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/article44125
- Author
- Puddister, Matthew
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2022 November
- Author
- Puddister, Matthew
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2022 November
- Volume
- 148
- Issue
- 9
- Page
- 1, 10
- Notes
- The people of "James Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask. asked people to pray for love and forgiveness after the stabbing attacks on Sept. 4 [2022] ... The stabbings left 11 people dead, including one of the suspects, and 18 more injured. Police identified brothers Damien and Myles Sanderson as suspects. Damien was found dead on Sept. 5 with multiple wounds. Myles was arrested on the afternoon of Sept. 7 and died that evening in police custody" (p. 1). James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon are in the Anglican diocese of Saskatchewan. "The Rev. Wilfred Sanderson and his wife the Rev. Theresa Sanderson are the Anglican priest and deacon, respectively, in the James Smith Cree Nation" (p. 10). The Rt. Rev. Michael Hawkins, Anglican bishop of Saskatchewan, "called Wilfred and Theresa 'the Anglican heroes in this story' and 'the finest pastors we have in the diocese of Saskatchewan'. He praised them, along with elders and families, as an example of leadership that has helped the community rally together after the attacks" (p. 10). Bishop Hawkins described James Smith Cree Nation "as a primarily Anglican community". "Hawkins says many residents would also have attended the nearby Prince Albert Indian Residential School and Gordon's Indian Residential School, both run by the Anglican Church of Canada and then the federal government. Gordon's was 'one of the worst residential schools .. we had in Saskatchewan for really horrific sexual abuse' and resulting intergenerational trauma, Hawkins said" (p. 10). Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, "recounted having visited the James Smith reserve in May [2022] with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. 'We were received there with such warmth and generosity, and my heart breaks for the families, the victims, the whole communities affected by this tragedy', she said" (p. 10). Archbishop Justin Welby "offered a handwritten letter to the chiefs of James Smith Cree Nation, in which he asked for God to give them strength, as they comfort the bereaved" (p. 10). "On Sept. 8 [2022], Nicholls and several other bishops held an online vigil on Sept. 8 to pray for James Smith Cree Nation and surrounding area. [Bishop Michael] Hawkins says the diocese of Saskatchewan hopes to partner with the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund to support long-term healing in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, and wants to see similar commitment from the federal government" (p. 10).
- Subjects
- James Smith Cree Nation
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Anglican Church of Canada - 21st century
- Indigenous peoples - Saskatchewan
- Violence - Canada
- Violence - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Residential schools - Anglican Church of Canada
- Hawkins, Michael (Michael William), 1962-
- Sanderson, Wilfred
- Sanderson, Theresa
- Nicholls, Linda (Linda Carol), 1954-
- Welby, Justin (Justin Portal), 1956-
- Healing - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada