Trudeau visits First Nation in Saskatchewan rocked by stabbings that killed 11

Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited the graves of victims of a deadly stabbing rampage at a Saskatchewan First Nation nearly three months ago.

The Sept. 4 stabbings left 11 people dead and 18 injured in James Smith Cree Nation, as well as in the nearby village of Weldon, Sask., northeast of Saskatoon.

The suspect in the attacks, 32-year-old Myles Sanderson, died in police custody.

Trudeau, accompanied by Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, went to a church this morning where seven of the victims are buried.

He laid down tobacco and made the sign of the cross at each of the graves.

The prime minister is in the area for meetings with leaders and community members.

The stabbings amplified calls for more Indigenous-led policing, and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has promised to "work around the clock" to table legislation this fall that would declare Indigenous policing an essential service.

James Smith Cree Nation Chief Wally Burns has been among those calling for tribal policing and has also said the community needs funding for housing, especially for those reluctant to return to homes where family members were killed.

Saskatchewan's chief coroner has said two public inquests will be held into the stabbings — one that will focus on the 11 killings, and another that will focus on the death of Sanderson in police custody.