'Bring her home': Family holds vigil in honour of Tanya Jane Nepinak - Action News
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Manitoba

'Bring her home': Family holds vigil in honour of Tanya Jane Nepinak

Colourful ribbon skirts and powerful prayers surrounded family and communitymembers who gathered in Winnipegon Saturday for a vigil in memory of Tanya JaneNepinak, who disappeared eight years ago.

Second-degree murder charges stayed in death of mother last seen in 2011

Sue Caribou, centre, stands with a group of women in traditional ribbon skirts playing music in memory of her niece, Tanya Jane Nepinak, who disappeared eight years ago. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

Family of Tanya Jane Nepinak gathered with community members and supportive passersby on Saturday outsideOodena Celebration Circle in Winnipeg for a vigil in memory of their loved one.

Dozens attended asolemn ceremony for the lost mother held on traditional Treaty 1 territory at the Forksin front of the country's first monument made in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

"Today's very hard. It only gets harder every year," said Sue Caribou, Nepinak's aunt, who has helpedorganize the annual memorial service.

"My family thinks that everybody is going to forget about my niece."

Sue Caribou hopes everyone becomes aware of lost loved ones like Tanya Jane Nepinak. Her body was never found. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

On Sept. 13, 2011, Nepinak was last seenleaving her SherbrookStreet homein Winnipeg. Nine months after she never returned, Shawn Lamb faced second-degree murder charges in connection with her death anddisappearance. Those charges were stayed, although Lambwas convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith.

"It's really hard on my sister and my family," Caribou said. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke about the 31-year-oldtaken away from her two children a son and a daughter, now teenagers who are continuing to grow upwithout their mom.

"Ihope one day somebody comes forward and gives my family some answers," Caribou said.

Dozens gathered in front of a stone monument created in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on Saturday for an annual vigil for Tanya Jane Nepinak. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

"When Iprepare this memorial or vigil every year, Italk to my niece while I'm making my bannock and my soup. And Itell my nieceI love her and I hope one day she comes home, wherever she is," Caribou said.

She fears thecold case has been abandoned.

"You know that saying, 'Gone but not forgotten?' But Ithink my niece has been forgotten."

The black hand-print has become symbol known for representing the hundreds of known missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

Winnipeg police have said they believed she is dead and that her body was dumped in a garbage bin and left at the city's Brady Road landfill. Caribou accusedinvestigators of cuttingthe search for her body short.

"If anybody has any news,anything, come forward and tell my family. Let us know," Caribou said.

"Bring her home."

With files from Walther Bernal