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

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."

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.

"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."

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."