On Friday evening, a prayer ceremony was held at Wascana Park for Kristi Lavallee, a woman from the Piapot First Nation, who has been missing after police say she fell into Mad River near Vaveny, B.C.
The city’s community, including elders, joined together to pray for the return of the woman, 31, who has been missing for about two weeks.
Chasity Delorme, a friend of the Lavallee family, said the ceremony was a way to “ask God and creator to guide Jessie home, to her family and to her children.” Lavallee is often referred to by family and friends as ‘Jessie.’
Attendees walked from the 'Justice for Our Stolen Children' camp in front of the Sask. Legislative building to the water and prayed to the water spirit that Lavallee will be found.
“Prayer gathering is important for the family of Jessie Lavallee because her mom wants her baby back home, her sister wants her baby sister, and her children need [their] mother, and they need some closure. We need her back home, and however that may be, we are going to pray the best way we know how,” Delorme said.
Delorme said Lavallee’s immediate family remains in Clearwater, B.C., as they continue to search for answers to the woman’s disappearance. Delorme added that the family has “no intentions of coming home without Jessie.”
With files from CTV’s Creeson Agecoutay
