We found evidence of a lot of hair: Daughters of Michelle Ahenakew say lab could take 90 days to make identification

The daughters of Michelle Ahenakew, 40, say their grandfather located human hair at Michelle’s last known location in Big River First Nation during a recent search for their loved one. “We found evidence of a lot of hair and I feel like my grandfather finding that hair is really um… He shouldn’t have been the one to find that hair,” said Lakeesha and Iyesha Ahenakew from their home in Saskatoon. “I’ve seen it and I know my mother’s hair and we are waiting back for the labs and they told us it will take 90 days. I feel like that’s such a long time to wait,” said Iyesha. “She had a very distinct color of hair and I feel like we know that’s her hair but we’re waiting for a confirmation from the labs,” added Lakeesha. It has been more than a month since Michelle Ahenakew went missing from Big River First Nation on June 5, a community located about 114 kilometers north-west of Prince Albert. Michelle’s daughter said their mom stayed in contact with family and knew something was wrong after she stopped answering her phone. RCMP Major Crimes has called Michelle’s disappearance suspicious and they are also asking the public’s help in finding her. They said Michelle is also known to visit Shell Lake, her home of Ahtahkakoop First Nation and Saskatoon. “She had made plans with one of her friends that day and never showed up, the last time she spoke to family was on June 4th,” said Iyesha Ahenakew. The missing persons poster for Michelle Ahenakew. Photo courtesy of the family. The Ahenakew family reported Michelle missing to the RCMP and later organized a search party in Big River on June 14 and put out a call for more searchers and quads to cover the area. Iyesha and Lakeesha said they also had to put their studies on hold at the University of Saskatchewan to look for their mom. They are currently in their third year in the Indigenous Teachers Education Program (ITEP). “This has completely just shaken our world. We cannot say where we searched (in Big River) because we can’t compromise the investigation but we had so much help from our community and the surrounding communities, we can’t do all of this alone,” said Iyesha. Ahtahkoop, Big River, Pelican Lake and Witchekan Lake First Nations all pitched in to help with resources for the search. “I know that she would never do this to us. We are not giving up looking for her, we are going to find her and bring her home,” said Iyesha. Ahenakew is 5’5, 150 lbs., with long brown hair and brown eyes. She has scar above her left eye and a butterfly tattoo on lower back. Iyesha and Lakeesha says their mom is a one-of-a-king person who speaks from the heart. “She is such a fiery person. She has such a great and genuine personality,” said Lakeesha. “Her humor is amazing, she had no filter, she wasn’t shy to say anything, she always lights up a room and you just really have to know her to love her and she is just really missed,” added Iyesha. Michelle Ahenakew is 5’5, 150 lbs., with long brown hair and brown eyes. She has scar above her left eye and a butterfly tattoo on lower back. “Everywhere I look I see her and this is definitely the hardest thing we ever had to deal with. This issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) is a really big issue in Canada, every time you go on Facebook or you watch the news, there’s something like this happening and it needs to stop, we need to stop letting people hurt our women. I don’t want what happened to my mom happen to others. I don’t want anyone else to feel this way,” said Iyesha. If anyone has any information to share the family asks that you contact the RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Continue Reading