Community mourns loss

Page 5

There were lots of hugs for RCMP Constable Julie Letal when community members of the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation gathered on reserve at Our Lady of the Lake Church March 6 for a memorial service to honor the lives of four slain Mounties killed in the line of duty on March 3.

Leo Johnston, Anthony Gordon, Brock Myrol and Peter Schiemann were shot to death by James Roszko during a stakeout of his farm near Mayerthorpe, where RCMP had discovered a marijuana grow operation while attending the property to recover a stolen vehicle.

Letal, who has worked with the First Nation for three years, represented the Mayerthorpe RCMP detachment at the service. Three of the officers were assigned to Mayerthorpe. The other was from the Whitecourt detachment. Latel was later presented with four framed eagle feathers to pass along to family members as a tribute to each of the officers' lives.

At the service, Letal sat among the members of the community's justice committee. She sat throughout the Mass with her arm around committee Elder Marceline Potts, 76, who told reporters she was in Edmonton when she heard about the shootings and was desperately worried that Letal was among the dead that day.

"I was so afraid for her," said Potts, who later described Letal as a granddaughter.

She said it was heartbreaking to hear news of the killing of Johnston, a Metis man from Owl River near Lac La Biche who was well-known and very much involved at Alexis.

"I loved him very much," Potts said, adding that he went through good times and bad times on reserve because of the nature of his work.

"They have their jobs to do," she said.

Potts said Johnston made it his business to visit with the Elders on reserve and take part in community celebrations, including powwows and round dances.

Justice committee member Evelyn Potts said Johnston loved the feasts in the community and was a real fan of bannock and soup.

"He will always be remembered for the hero he was," she said.

Schiemann was also known in the community, having taken part in the honor guard at a community powwow.

Letal said she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection and compassion showed by the Alexis members.

"We are family," she explained when asked by reporters to describe the community's reaction to the tragedy.

During the service, Father Alex Carrier, OMI, asked God's grace for the families and prayed that the four officers would be happy in their final journey. He said the RCMP were the best police force in the world, because they had a heart and they cared. He said the four officers had been "embraced by God because they are children of light."

Chief Rod Alexis sat with Letal during the service, and later spoke at a sweetgrass ceremony held at the community's training centre. Alexis said communities across Canada had failed the officers, "because we seem to condone a lot of negative things in life, accept [them]. That's a mistake." He said all people have a responsibility to create an environment where all live without fear. He said he was sorry "that we never took part" in rejecting the negative.

Alexis said the presentation of the eagle feathers was the highest honor his community could offer for "the good things that the officers showed us ... When we needed them, they were always there for us."

Councillor Darwin Alexis who had worked with some of the officers that were killed said he was "quite shaken" by what he described as a senseless act, and was grateful for the church service.

He took the opportunity to ask his community members to show respect for the police officers that they will meet as they go about their business.

"They lay their lives on the line each day. They are very courageous for what they do."