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Nadalie explained to Al Jazeera that her world has turned upside down since Hoss’s death, as she goes through bouts of grief and anger. The family said goodbye in a traditional wake and burial with a teepee set up in her yard in mid-September.

“I am still so broken,” said Nadalie. She spoke as she displayed pictures of her grandson throughout his short life, from baby photos to others taken not long before he was killed.

Hoss had been living with his mother when he was placed in the foster care system in November 2023, said Nadalie, due to struggles with suicidal thoughts. He was living in a group home in Edmonton, about an hour north of Maskwacis, far from his community and family support system. He had run away multiple times since being placed in care, added Nadalie, often seeking refuge with her on the reserve.

“He was in care and he ran,” Nadalie explained, adding she battled cancer over the past year and was unable to take Hoss in until she recovered. “Most of those times he ran away. I took care of him, that’s just what a kohkum (grandmother) does.”

Nadalie described Hoss as a gentle soul who was vulnerable and always saw the best in people. "He was so honest with me," she recalled. "I loved that about him."

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