Around 100 meet in Winnipeg to honour North Dakota woman found dead in Red River
Savanna Greywind, 22, was 8-months pregnant when she went missing on Aug. 19
Around 100 people gathered on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature on Wednesday evening to honour a North Dakota woman who was found dead on Sunday.
Savanna Greywind's body was pulled from the Red River near Fargo, N.D., wrapped in plastic and duct tape, 10 days after she went missing on Aug. 19.
The 22-year-old was eight-months pregnant when she disappeared.
Two people were charged in connection with her death. They were with a baby they told police was Greywind's when they were arrested. North Dakota police told The Associated Press they plan to test the baby's DNA to be sure.
The Winnipeg elder and grandmother helped plan the Wednesday evening vigil in Greywind's honour.
"I think it's because she's Indigenous and that we don't see borders, she's a sister," she said.
"For her to be stolen the way that she was, it makes you feel really helpless and we felt that we would show our love and support by having a vigil to honour Savanna."
Speakers at the event included NDP MLAs Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas) and Nahanni Fontaine (St. John), as well as a representative from Greywind's home community.
Participants also drummed and sang in Greywind's honour.
"I think it's heartfelt, the love for another Indigenous woman, especially one that was carrying a child. For her life to be taken the way it was — it's a pain we all carry together as Indigenous women, because we're never safe," Richard said.
"We're never safe on our own lands, you know, and that, to me, we don't see those borders. To us, she's our daughter, our granddaughter, our little sister."
With files from Jillian Taylor