This episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual assault.

Listener discretion is advised.

My name is Violet Sousay.

My cre name is Bissimuxquil, and I need to talk about my auntie Shirley.

When Shirley left a reserve, Shirley would write letters home in 1980. The letters

stopped. Over the years, we stopped relying on the police being told that, oh, she's probably

just another dead Indian. Shirley's mother said, promise me, you'll find her and bring her home.

The Cree name for women is Esquil,

which means the fire keeper.

We are the keepers of the culture.

When you make a promise in our culture,

you have to follow through.

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America.

Each one is a cold case.

Only 1% are ever solved.

This is one of those rare stories.

This is one of those rare stories.

The Samson Cree Nation is in the center of Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary.

We are a population of about 20,000. The values of our people are very strong, and they carry on through generation to generation. Shirley Sousay was born on the Samson Cree Reserve in Alberta, Canada in 1945.

She was one of eight children.

Her niece Violet recalls her close relationship with Shirley.

Shirley spent a lot of time with me in my early childhood.

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