Siksika Nation gathers to honour lives of 3 killed in weekend house fire

Members of the Siksika Nation came together Tuesday evening to pay tribute to three people who perished in a weekend fire and to support a mother who lost her young son and her boyfriend.

The candlelight vigil honoured the lives of six-year-old Pierson Scalplock, 28-year-old Paisley Big Old Man (Wolfleg) and Paisley's grandmother, Elizabeth Big Old Man (Raweater).

There were 11 people inside the home, located near the Old Sun Community College, early Saturday morning when the fire broke out.

Chantel Stonechild was in the home at the time. While she survived, her son, her boyfriend and her boyfriend's grandmother did not escape the burning building.

"I need my son and Paisley and my grandma, I need them to make their journey home," Stone told CTV News. "That's why we had this vigil for them, to help them on their journey home."

Chief Ouray Crowfoot as well as several of the first responders who responded to the fire were in attendance.

The vigil included traditional drumming, the placement of stuffed animals in memory of the six-year-old boy and the release of balloons, a favourite of Pierson's.

Tribal security say the cause of the fatal fire remains under investigation. The fire gutted the home, reducing it to its foundation and a wheelchair ramp.

A joint funeral for Elizabeth and Paisley Big Old Man is scheduled to take place at the Gordon Yellow Fly Memorial Arbor on Friday.

Funeral arrangements for Pierson have yet to be finalized.