Shawnee Inyallie is described as naïve and sweet by the people who knew her, and when the 29-year-old Chawathil woman went missing in mid-July of last year in Hope, British Columbia, her community mobilized quickly, organizing searches in spite of bureaucratic hurdles and a conspicuous lack of support from authorities. People worked together in search teams to comb the river, put up posters, and provide lunches for those who helped. I was moved by their spirit, and by Shawnee's smile in the pictures her family shared. Several of my friends had warm things to say about her, and although Shawnee and I had only known one another via social media, her disappearance felt close to home: If she could go missing, any one of us could. I offered a reward, imagining it would help find her safe and soon.
On November 4th of last year, Inyallie's body was found in the Fraser River in Delta, British Columbia. There were no signs of how she'd come to be there—only heartbreak and questions unanswered. We still don't known how Shawnee ended up in the river, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have told the family that no foul play is suspected.
Inyallie's brother, Pat Peters, told the Chilliwack Progress that he's been informed his sister was last seen at a homeless camp close by the river in Hope. "If that's the case, she traveled an awful long way," Peters said. "That's like 200 kilometers [from home], and I'd also like to know: How do they know when she actually died?"
[For more on this story by TERESE MARIE MAILHOT, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...ies-turn-a-blind-eye]
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