Nattaway, 16, of the Garden Hill First Nation, was last seen there in July 2020. Her family filed a missing persons report and say they know she wouldn’t stray from her community, about 475 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg that doesn’t has road access for all seasons. Searches continue in Garden Hill and the nearby community of Wasagamack, where the sweater was found. “When I saw that sweater, I knew it was hers,” said Tammy’s mother, Stephanie Harper. “I immediately recognized it. I felt it. I knew it was hers. It was one of those things she would wear all the time. I felt kind of comfortable when they showed it to me. Kind of a relief. It was a warm feeling. That’s how I knew it was hers.” A photo of the sweater found in Wasagamack which is now with police awaiting forensics. (Submitted by Lena Harper) The sweater has been handed over to the police. RCMP said Tammy’s disappearance is being treated as foul play and is an active investigation. “The sweater remains in evidence as part of the RCMP investigation,” RCMP media relations officer Tara Seel wrote in an email to CBC News. “It will be forensically analyzed, which will take some time.” He said the RCMP is not part of the Wasagamack investigation, but remains “connected” to what’s happening on the ground in the community. “We continue to receive tips and all are being followed,” Seel wrote. “We are also pursuing several different investigative avenues that will hopefully help move this investigation forward and find some answers for Tammy’s family.” A camp for searchers has been set up at Wasagamack. (Submitted by Lena Harper) Search co-ordinator Floyd Mason of Wasagamack said they are working with the RCMP and asked where they should look. “The only response we got from them, [is] that they can’t wipe out both communities,” Mason said. “We were told, looking here in Wasagamack, to continue the search, and the same thing with Garden Hill.” They had divers in the water and look through marshy areas too. Mason said they appreciate any help people can give them to continue the search. Lena Harper, Tammy’s grandmother, thanked the volunteers and help from Cat Lake and St. Theresa Point. He said Tammy was quiet, honest and had a sense of humor. “[She was] respectful, kind. He tried to make people laugh,” he said. Tammy’s photos cover a poster board in Wasagamack. (Submitted by Lena Harper) Stephanie Harper said they celebrated Tammy’s 18th birthday on June 5 with a barbecue and 18 lanterns in the sky. She said they will not stop looking for her daughter. “We can’t just sit at home and wait,” he said. “That’s why we’re here [the search] camp, because we feel helpless at home. It is very tiring, sometimes frustrating. Sometimes we lose hope, but we are not going to give up. We’re not going to stop. We just want to find her.” Anyone with information about Tammy Nattaway is asked to call Island Lake RCMP at 204-456-2626, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a secure tip online.
