Band Denies Request For Full Funeral Arrangements

Band Denies Request For Full Funeral Arrangements

Thursday, August 07, 2008 at 15:25

A Saskatoon-area woman is crushed by her band’s decision to not give her brother a full on-reserve funeral service.

Mary Janvier’s brother passed away last week, and his wish was to be buried on the Saulteaux First Nation.

Janvier says both of them have treaty cards, but says the band told her her brother was an affiliate band member and could only offer limited funeral arrangements.

Janvier thinks the chief and council could have used more compassion and discretion and granted her brother’s wish to be buried on the reserve.

She thinks people were judging her brother’s lifestyle, and says that’s not the traditional way.

Janvier says the situation with her band has made dealing with her brother’s death that much more difficult, and adds she feels like a failure for not being able to fulfil his request.

Officials with the Saulteaux First Nation could not be reached for comment.