‘She would’ve been home’: Family, community seek closure in mysterious disappearance of Tammy Nattaway

Stephanie Nattaway’s heart aches every time she walks past the photo of her daughter Tammy in the hallway of her home in Garden Hill First Nation. The image of her beautiful daughter smiling back at her, frozen in time, brings tears to Stephanie’s eyes as she whispers, urging Tammy to come home or give a clue about where she is.

“I always say ‘Try harder. Keep us close and in dreams.’ I ask and pray a lot,” Stephanie said, her voice filled with emotion. “I know it’s been too long. She would’ve been home. I know she would’ve been home.”

It has been four long years since Tammy Nattaway, just 16 years old at the time, disappeared from the Island Lake region in northeastern Manitoba. The region is made up of four fly-in communities, including Garden Hill First Nation and Wasagamack First Nation.

Tammy split her time between Garden Hill, where she lived in foster care, and Wasagamack, where her boyfriend and extended family resided. Manitoba RCMP believe she was last seen in Garden Hill in mid-July of 2020, but there is a possibility she may have gone to Wasagamack.

Despite exhaustive community-led efforts to find her, including hundreds of searchers scouring both communities by air, land, and water, Tammy has not been located. The only trace of her found so far was a piece of clothing, and her disappearance remains a mystery.

Stephanie Nattaway is determined to never give up searching for her daughter. “We never had a wake or funeral for her. We haven’t given up searching yet. Can’t say goodbye. Can’t seem to grow,” she said, her voice filled with determination.

Garden Hill First Nation is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to Tammy being found. The community is desperate for answers and closure, so they can finally lay Tammy to rest.

The search for Tammy continues every summer until freeze-up, with searchers covering every inch of both communities. Kurt Mason, who is with Garden Hill’s search and rescue team, expressed the importance of bringing closure to Tammy’s family. “We just want to bring closure to the family,” he said.

Tammy’s maternal grandmother, Lena Harper, still holds out hope that her granddaughter will return home. She gazes out her window every night, longing to see Tammy walk up the road again. “I wish she could just say, ‘Kokum, I’m home’,” Lena said.

Rumors and speculation run rampant in both communities about what may have happened to Tammy, but Lena believes foul play may be involved. “We forgive them. We forgive them. But we want Tammy back. We want to lay her to rest,” she said.

Despite the passage of time, Stephanie Nattaway refuses to give up hope. She longs for closure and the opportunity to lay her daughter to rest. “I don’t know if she’s alive or if somebody’s holding her captive. Too many thoughts go through my mind,” Stephanie said.

She describes Tammy as a “very quiet girl” who brought light and happiness to everyone around her. Despite the challenges they faced, Stephanie and Tammy shared a close bond. “She was very happy. She would bring life to everybody,” Stephanie reminisced.

As the search for Tammy Nattaway continues, the community of Island Lake remains determined to find answers. They urge anyone with information to come forward and help bring peace to Tammy’s family. Stephanie Nattaway and Lena Harper hold onto hope, praying for the day when Tammy will finally come home.