‘Do the right thing’: Sweetgrass woman’s split-second decision leads to national bravery honour

The slough beside Highway 16 was still near Langham on the afternoon of Oct. 5, 2024 until a frantic woman waving on the roadside drew Dana Ahenakew Andres toward a small hill overlooking a water-filled dugout.

When she reached the top, the Sweetgrass First Nation woman saw a vehicle submerged below, its front end sliding deeper.

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She and her cousin, Cynthia Albert, had been headed to Saskatoon when they stopped to check on the distressed woman.

“I looked over at her and I told her I have first aid and CPR, and I said, should we stop?” Ahenakew Andres recalled. “We both agreed we’d