Cree healer sentenced to 8 years in prison

A Saskatchewan man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting 12 women under the guise of being an Indigenous “healer” or medicine man. Cecil Wolfe, 63, ministered to vulnerable female patients in Saskatchewan and Alberta who were seeking traditional treatment for everything from depression to cancer. The meetings took place in homes and hotel rooms from 2012 to 2021, court was told. Justice John Morrall sentenced Wolfe on Wednesday in Saskatoon’s Court of King’s Bench. Wolfe pleaded guilty in February. Court heard Wolfe was highly regarded and employed by the Saskatoon Tribal Council and White Buffalo Youth Lodge. Read More: First Nations ‘traditional healer’ changes plea on 12 sexual assault charges The victims said he told them to wear skirts to the sessions, where he touched them inappropriately and pretended to pull “bad medicine” from their bodies. They said they left the sessions feeling scared, confused and violated. They told the judge he abused his power and violated their trust and spiritual beliefs. The first woman came forward in April 2021. -with files by The Canadian Press There is help for survivors by calling or chatting online with Hope for Wellness – a 24-hour crisis line available in some Indigenous languages. Continue Reading