BONNYVILLE – A “peaceful demonstration of love, solidarity, and peace” was held in honour of Métis hunters Jacob Sansom and Morris Cardinal.
After a rally in Glendon, a convoy made its way to Bonnyville on July 15 to call for justice for the two men who were killed outside of Glendon earlier this year.
“We’re calling for justice for Jacob and Morris, and addressing the racism in our society,” organizer Lloyd Cardinal said during a rally in front of the Bonnyville Provincial Courthouse. “For example, those who are quick to assume and comment that Jacob and Morris were somehow responsible for their own murders, assuming they were up to no good just because they were indigenous.”
The family of Sansom and Cardinal, along with the Stolen Sisters and Brothers Awareness group, organized the demonstration.
Sansom’s wife, Sarah Sansom, described him as her ‘soul mate.’
“I loved him because he was special and he was here for a reason,” she stated. “He got taken and we have to be his voice to make a change. Morris and Jake need to be remembered for who they are and what they stood for: love.”
Bonnyville RCMP responded to a call from a citizen on March 28 of two males on a road outside of a parked truck. Officers determined on scene that the two males were deceased and the circumstances of their deaths were suspicious.
RCMP charged Anthony Bilodeau, 31, of Glendon with two counts of second-degree murder on April 2, and later charged Roger Bilodeau, 56, of Glendon with two counts of second-degree murder.
Since the deaths of Sansom and Cardinal, family members say they've experienced racism online.
“Unfortunately, anyone who is Métis, indigenous, or first nations knows first-hand what it’s like to walk down the streets of town, to go into a store, and to be hated the minute you stand,” exclaimed Gina Levasseur, Sansom’s sister. “You’re followed and judged solely on that one simple fact, and that’s not something we can hide from anymore.”
It’s interactions like this that made Bonnyville resident Chantal Gladue attend the rally.
“At one point in time, I was embarrassed to be indigenous because I had a loss of identity and, now that I’m 34-years-old, I’ve come to love who I am, embrace who I am, and not be ashamed of who I am. Growing up in a small town like this, you have a lot of people looking down on you and making you feel like you’re less than,” Gladue said. “This is why I’m here today, to stand up for people that don’t have a voice and let them know we’re important and we shouldn’t be murdered or our issues be shoved under the rug like we’re less than anyone else.”
Along with family members of Sansom and Cardinal, roughly 40 attendees were invited to share their own experiences and words of wisdom.
Sharon Pasula stepped up to the mic encouraging everyone to stand up for themselves and others that have been wronged, and to not let bad events dictate their lives.
“The minute anyone stands up, you become a target. You become a target for the dark side, for forces that we don’t see. We see a lot of things come against us, but the harder things are unseen and that’s why we need to pray. We need to always be praying and pushing back the darkness and inviting the light because where there’s light, there’s no darkness,” she noted.
The family of Cardinal and Sansom sent letters to the Town of Bonnyville and Village of Glendon on July 1 to share their experiences with racism and ask them to take action.
They also included recommendations for how to begin change in Bonnyville, including banning all visible signs of racism, developing intentional relationships with surrounding Métis settlements and first nations, using positions of power and privilege to engage in open and critical conversations regarding racism and violence, developing policies of anti-racism and investigative processes that promote anti-racist community values and actions, education, addressing a lack of diversity among town council members, and reviewing how other communities and cities are addressing racism and implement change.
Town of Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski replied in a letter that “racism, harassment, and bullying aren’t tolerated and we actively promote the elimination of these ugly behaviours among employees and the community in general through our actions and examples.”
He stressed the importance of combating racism in all communities within Alberta and across Canada.
“The town remains fully committed to continuing our efforts to build a safe and inclusive community for all, regardless of skin colour, race, nationality, religious beliefs or gender,” the letter stated.
Levasseur said the rally was a start for their movement and policy change is the goal.
“We need to unify; no more division. Why are we blaming? Why are we being labelled as indigenous? We need to start being angry and we need to stop being so passive.”
