Warning: This story contains details of sexual assault
A Saskatchewan man who worked as a traditional Indigenous healer has admitted to sexually assaulting his patients.
Cecil Wolfe pleaded guilty to a dozen counts of sexual assault on Wednesday.
The 12 female victims turned to Wolfe for traditional Indigenous treatment. They experienced a range of health issues — including depression, stomach pain and even cancer.
Wolfe, 63, was considered a respected elder and medicine man. He was employed by the Saskatoon Tribal Council and White Buffalo Youth Lodge to perform ceremonies and traditional rituals.
During his “doctoring sessions,” Wolfe instructed his female patients to wear skirts, according to an agreed statement of facts, signed by Wolfe.
The self-proclaimed medicine man told his victims they had “bad medicine” inside them and he had to take it out.
He would hold up trinkets — crab claws, animal bones, hairballs, snakeskin, ribbon, bullet casings — to show his victims what he had supposedly removed from their bodies.
During a 2016 appointment, Wolfe inserted his fingers in his patient’s vagina. When he removed his fingers, he was holding two small trinkets. He advised the victim she could now have children.
In another session, outlined in the statement of facts, Wolfe pushed on his patient’s stomach and “pulled out” an item that looked like a mozzarella cheese string.
Wolfe told the victim the cheese string was in her stomach and “she needed to take less birth control. [The victim] was confused as she was not taking birth control,” the agreed statement of facts reads.
The sexual assaults occurred during private sessions, usually held at the offender’s home, between 2012 and 2021.
The victims were referred to Wolfe by friends and family “as he was a trusted and highly-respected elder,” according to the statement of facts.
Court heard the victims were afraid to speak out because of Wolfe’s “power” as a medicine man.
Crown Prosecutor Lana Morelli said Wolfe exploited and abused his position of trust and authority.
Wolfe’s second time pleading guilty to same charges
Wolfe was first charged with sexual assault on Sept. 21, 2021. The number of charges grew as more women came forward.
He pleaded guilty on April 13, 2022.
On Sept. 12, 2023 his guilty pleas were erased by Justice Sanjeev Anand. The judge decided Wolfe pleaded guilty solely based on his lawyer’s advice; that Wolfe didn’t understand the consequences.
Wolfe fired his former lawyer, Loretta Pete Lambert, and hired Harvey Neufeld as his court process restarted.
Wolfe’s trial was set to begin on Tuesday, but it ended before it could start when Wolfe pleaded guilty.
On Wednesday, Justice John Morrall was meticulous to ensure Wolfe understood the charges he was once again pleading guilty to, and the jail-time that would ensue.
“I need to make sure that you’re not doing this, just to get it over with,” Morrall said.
Morrall found the pleas to be valid.
A sentencing hearing, which will include victim-impact statements, is scheduled for March 26.
