Indigenous Podcast – Searching for Sabrina, The Canada Day Crisis

I began this project unsure of what direction I was going to follow but knew I wanted to dive right into a case of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous woman. After some research on CBC’s database, I discovered Sabrina Polchies. Her story was chilling and twist and turns in the plot added to the suspense and depth of the tale. I couldn’t wait to tell it. Once my research had been completed and notes made, I met with Grace Yuan from Mr. Drysdale’s Art 11/12 class. We quickly began discussing a vision for the cover with artistic elements relative to important aspects of the story. I began recording soon after and used an awesome audio editing app called Hokusai 2 and my phone microphone. The recording was a fun experience and really made me focus my attention into inputting a conversational, relaxed, and emotion filled pitch and tone to my voice and not sounding monotone or robotic. After the recording was done I checked in with Grace and the art looked amazing. Getting some feedback from Mr. Barazzuol the next day I re-recorded and specified as well as further explained certain influential plot points. Once I received the podcast cover from Grace I was astounded by the way she brought our ideas to life and the final product was completed. Overall, the process was long and there were bumps along the way but the final product turned out better than I could have imagined!

                                                                                   ~

We were tasked with creating a podcast that uncovered some extremely unpleasant stories that were often tales of injustice. For my podcast I explored the chilling tale of Sabrina Polchies. During my research I discovered many intriguing details such as the rumors circling in the community about suspicious characters heavily involved with the young woman. I shone light even on specifics that are subjects of caution such as the placement of her phone, discarded in a dumpster nearby. Listen up to learn more…

Podcast Script 

Searching for Sabrina: The Canada Day Crisis 

*Theme Music*

Welcome to Searching for Sabrina the show that shines light on dark mysteries and murders regarding indigenous women. I’m Ammarah Siddiqui and today we’re talking about the Canada Day Crisis 

Segment 1 –  

*Piano Keys*

The days surrounding Canada Day are usually those of national pride and identity, a day filled with light, fireworks and joy, but this was certainly not the case for 22-year-old, Sabrina Polchies. Posting on July 1st that she was off to a new life in Moncton New Brunswick, for a future of endless possibilities. Her body was later found on July 5th, 30 minutes away, in her Salisbury, New Brunswick apartment. A young Mi’kmaq woman of Elsipogtog First Nation band descent with no prior drug use, dismissed as an overdose, with little satisfaction for her devastated family.  

Segment 2 – 

*Piano Keys*

Lets go back in time to 1988 in Fredericton New Brunswick, a joyful time for Wilson and Mary Anne Polchies welcoming their new daughter into the world.  

Sabrina was an energetic and enthusiastic girl growing up with guidance from both her parents, siblings, and extended family.  

Sabrina later moved out of her parent’s house and an hour and a half’s drive away to Salisbury, where she was said to live alone.  

A happy post on July 1st, 2010 however, triggered a chain of unusual and traumatic events.  

On Sabrina’s Facebook she wrote to close friends; “Moving to Moncton whoo hooo, to start a new life wish me luck!” 

A fresh start from what though?  

Looking into the chilling phone call the following day, we can try to fill in some blanks. 

 July 2nd, 2010 was a regular day for Sabrina’s mother Mary Anne Polchies when she received a phone call from her daughter, 

but her eagerness to hear her daughter turned into raw panic at the fear in her voice. Sabrina sounded scared and rushedly informed her mother of how her new friends were “mad at her.” 

 Her voice was backed by male shouting in the background with swearing and the use of the derogatory term “squaw” directed at Sabrina.  

Mary Anne begged desperately for any location or whereabouts of her daughter to look for further help, but her daughter didn’t know where she was.  

Before Mary Anne could receive any other information or comfort her daughter the line went dead.  

This was the last contact Mary Anne shared with her daughter,  

I cannot even begin to imagine that, realizing your final conversation with your daughter one where you are unaware of where she is, scared for her, trying to help.  

Immediately after the phone call Mary Anne contacted the police but without information on her location the police stated they were unable to assist. 

This leads me to wonder 

if signs of RCMP negligence and dismissal started even before Sabrina’s death.

2010 was not many years ago and GPS tracking is accessible

If not, a proper investigation could be carried out, and they may be able to at least narrow down a list of possible locations.  

Could Sabrina’s death have been preventable? 

We may never know.  

On July 4th, 2010 Sabrina was reported missing. A day later her body was found in her apartment in Salisbury, New Brunswick. 

The police began to investigate the scene and tested Sabrina for signs of injury, but when a blood test came positive for alcohol and drugs in her system the police determined the cause of death to be a deadly combination of alcohol and prescription medication 

Interesting part is 

Sabrina hung out with the “wrong crowd” and her friends were “mad at her” (reference phone call)

Near the time of the incident Sabrina’s mother heard rumors within the community of men forcibly  injecting her daughter with drugs against her will,

Could her death have involved foul play and not just an overdose?

Sabrina’s family reported no past drug use 

Police, according to Sabrina’s family “wrote it off” after they discovered drugs in her system, not suspecting foul play 

On top of this,

Sabrina’s cellphone was discovered in a dumpster nearby 

Leaving us to wonder 

Considering Sabrina posted and used social media, shouldn’t she have her cellphone on her, didn’t she use it to make the mysterious phone call days before? 

Could the line dying be more than just low battery? 

Could it be, deliberate? 

Segment 3 –  

*Piano Keys*

Foul Play or not the case is still documented as resolved.  

But should it be? 

Family believes differently  

Wilson Polchies, Sabrina’s father, “Mostly what bothers me is there is no justice at all. They dropped it and that was all,” he said   

RCMP Constable Jullie Rogers-Marsh doesn’t provide any specific details about the case but welcomes the family to contact the local RCMP   

stating, “The RCMP is always open to meeting with families to provide an update on investigations in their jurisdiction or to explain the reasons for the decision to close the file,”

Despite the simple finality the RCMP encourages 

Sabrina’s family is desperate for more answers, feeling its effects regularly 

Mary Anne Polchies says “I stopped crying so much, I mean I have bad days, I have really bad days, but not as much,”

Sabrina was loved by many, 

Sabrina’s brother wrote a heartfelt note on her memorial page “She was my best friend, we laughed, we fought, we talked, we never judged each other, my sister, my friend, I will sadly miss you.” – Love Shane 

Outro –  

*Piano Keys*

Sabrina will be dearly missed by many 

her case will be another case in which those in positions to help, the police and government may not have tried their hardest to amend. 

We call upon all levels of government in collaboration with Aboriginal people to create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal specific victim programs and services with appropriate evaluation mechanisms for both the victim and their family 

We call upon the federal government in consultation with Aboriginal organizations to appoint a public inquiry into cases of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls in relation to missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls 

We call upon the public to advocate for the equal treatment and guarantee of constitutional rights to all Canadians regardless of race or gender in regard to missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls 

And with this we hope 

That aboriginal women and girls, like Sabrina, receive proper investigations, and conclusions that bring peace to their loved ones.  

We hope that Canada Days to come will, be a time of joy and national pride, and not a day of pain, as we make amends 

And most of all we hope that the cases of all missing and murdered indigenous women are treated with the utmost precision and care. 

All my relations. 

Thank you for listening to Searching for Sabrina; the Canada Day Crisis, please make sure you subscribe to my website and view the cover art for this podcast done by Grace Yuan. 

*Theme music*