Family of slain Metis hunters asks nearby mayors to address racism

EDMONTON Family members of two Métis-cree hunters shot-to-death on a rural road north of Glendon in March are asking local mayors to address systemic racism and violence in their communities.

Five members of the Sansom and Cardinal families — including Jake Sansom’s widow Sarah Sansom, and Morris Cardinal’s sister Ruby Smith — sent a letter to the mayors of Glendon and Bonnyville last week saying their experiences of racism forced them to leave the Bonnyville area and move to larger towns and cities in the province out of fear for their safety.

“We are not alone in this need to escape communities that condone violence to preserve our lives and the lives of our family members,” reads the letter.

Relatives of Jake Sansom, 39, and his uncle Morris Cardinal, 57, are concerned their killings were racially motivated, but the RCMP has said there was no evidence of that. Roger Bilodeau, 56, and his son and co-accused Anthony Bilodeau, 31, are facing two counts of second-degree murder.

Sansom and Cardinal were found dead outside a parked black 2014 Ram 1500 truck near a relative’s home on Township Road 622 and Range Road 84 March 28, after spending the previous day hunting for moose on Crown land near Seibert Lake. Glendon is about 225 km northeast of Edmonton.

“Our family members were hunting at the time of being murdered. They were hunting on Crown land because of the lack of access to Indigenous land,” the letter says.

“This is not an isolated event. It symbolizes the countless encounters we witness and experience in Glendon where Indigenous people are targeted and harmed.”

In the letter, the family asks the mayors to develop relationships with local Métis settlements and First Nations, use their positions to speak about racism and violence, develop anti-racism policies and promote anti-racism, address a lack of diversity on town council, and review how other communities have addressed racism.

A letter sent on behalf of Glendon’s council to the family Wednesday, and obtained by Postmedia, said the village does not condone racism but recognizes there is more it can do to eliminate it.

Councillors said they are embarrassed they have not reached out to the local Indigenous communities but hope to change that.

“We openly recognize that Glendon is mostly a homogeneous Ukrainian community. We are committed to educating ourselves and would like to see more diversity in the individuals who choose to run for leadership,” the letter reads.

Gene Sobolewski, mayor of Bonnyville, said the community is “absolutely inclusive,” citing how the town flies the Treaty Six flag in council chambers. He said he plans to meet with the family to learn more about their experiences.

“We’re in the process of responding, and are cognizant of the issue that they raised, and we’re hoping to have a dialogue with the parties ... and to get clarification on some of the contents of the letter,” he said.

A letter sent to the families from Sobolewski on Wednesday said racism and bullying was not tolerated in the town, and the family’s letter had been added to council’s agenda at the next meeting for discussion.