A 24km walk and vigil was held this past Saturday for Brandon Sakebow. (Submitted photo/Debra Sakebow)

By Nigel Maxwell

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One year anniversary passes for Sask. family in search of answers

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More than a year after a young man with connections to Northern Saskatchewan went missing in B.C.’s lower mainland, his family is no closer to receiving closure.

Brandon Sakebow, 23, was living in Abbotsford at the time of his disappearance March 21, 2020, and had a job as a rebar worker. Just a week prior, the halfway house where he was livingburned to the ground. Debra Sakebow, Brandon’s aunt, recalled the initial search effort was very frustrating.

“There was a lot of us being passed from RCMP detachment to RCMP detachment. We weren’t getting anywhere and now that the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) got involved, they have been giving us updates,” she said.

Brandon Sakebow. (Submitted photo/RCMP)

Sakebow explained her nephew had moved to B.C. in 2018, and had been off parole for a month at the time he went missing. She said his last conversation with his mother was on March 20, and he gave no indication anything was wrong.

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“It was just like a basic call, like he wasn’t in any danger. He said he was with some friends and said he was going to call his mom back later,” she said.

Sadly, Brandon’s mom never received that call back and a few days later, RCMP found his cell phone, bag and clothes in a stolen van found in Mission. This past Saturday the family from Pelican Lake organized a 24 km walk from Capsin grid to Spiritwood, where a vigil was also held. The FSIN’s Vice-Chief Dutch Lerat and Executive Director of Justice Jason Stonechild both took part.

“We have a close connection with the family and we were honoured to be invited,” Stonechild told paNOW. “These types of community events are very meaningful for me and the vice-chief.”

The family received enormous support. (Submitted photo/Laurie Sakebow)

(Submitted photo/Debra Sakebow)

With respect to the FSIN’s role, they work as an advocacy agency for Indigenous people who are engaged with the public sector, whether it’s health, education or policing. Stonechild explained the FSIN has been able to help build some bridges between the RCMP and the family, to ensure the family’s best interests are taken care of.

“By no means are we interfering in the investigation. We support the RCMP and we respect that they have challenges and that they are doing their job with respect to this,” he said.

Stonechild, who was previously a longtime member of the Prince Albert Police Service, explained the FSIN can bring a different perspective to the table and can also act as a mediator for a family who may be feeling emotionally charged.

“Of course we are an Indian government agency so we represent the indigenous people and there’s inherent trust there,” he said.

(Submitted photo/Keira Jade (Brandon’s sister)

Since Brandon’s disappearance, the family has travelled to B.C. eight times to look for him. They would have held the walk there as well, but were unable to due to the pandemic. To help cover the costs of future trips, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched.

The RCMP investigation

According to a statement provided to paNOW on Thursday, the Mission Serious Crime Unit has had up to seven investigators working on this case following up on possible leads.

“All investigational leads to date have been negative. The Mission RCMP are committed to bringing a conclusion to the investigation,” the statement said.

Mission RCMP reminded the public that any information can be helpful and anonymous complaints can be made through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at solvecrime.ca. Those with information are also encouraged to call the Mission RCMP directly at 604-826-7171.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell