The air was heavy with emotion as nearly a hundred community members gathered at Borden Park last night, their faces illuminated by candlelight as they stood in solidarity for Amber Cardinal, the 16-year-old Indigenous girl who vanished without a trace almost two months ago.
I watched as Elder Martha Yellowknee opened the vigil with a smudging ceremony, the sacred smoke drifting through the crowd. “When one of our children goes missing, we all feel that emptiness,” she told me after leading prayers in Cree and English. “This gathering isn’t just about finding Amber—it’s about showing her family they aren’t alone.”
Amber was last seen leaving her aunt’s home in northeast Edmonton on June 3rd. According to family members, she had planned to meet friends at West Edmonton Mall but never arrived. The Edmonton Police Service upgraded her case to “high-risk missing person” status last week after new information came to light, though investigators have not shared specific details.
“We’re following several leads and urge anyone with information to come forward,” Sergeant Elena Rodriguez from the EPS Missing Persons Unit explained. “No detail is too small.”
What struck me most powerfully was the resilience of Amber’s mother, Sarah Cardinal, who has barely slept since her daughter’s disappearance. Despite her exhaustion, she addressed the crowd with remarkable strength.
“My girl is out there somewhere,” Sarah said, her voice breaking slightly before regaining composure. “She loves art, makes amazing bannock, and has the kindest heart. She matters. All our missing Indigenous women and girls matter.“
Community organizer Dwayne Bear from the Creating Hope Society helped coordinate the event alongside volunteer search efforts that have been combing city parks and ravines. “Statistics show Indigenous women and girls face disproportionate risks,” Bear told me. “But statistics don’t capture the human cost—the families left wondering, the communities left grieving.”
According to data from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than other women in Canada. These sobering numbers were referenced several times throughout the evening.
The vigil coincided with a new search initiative using drones equipped with thermal imaging technology. Volunteer drone operator Jasmine Whitebear demonstrated the equipment before the evening search began. “Technology gives us an advantage, especially in difficult terrain,” she explained. “We’re covering areas that would take days to search on foot.”
Local businesses have also stepped up, with North Side Printing donating hundreds of posters and Riverdale Grocery providing supplies for search volunteers. The Edmonton Native Friendship Centre has established a support hub for family members and is coordinating daily search efforts.
“This is Edmonton at its best, even in the worst circumstances,” said City Councillor Rhonda Fletcher, who attended the vigil. “But we need to ask harder questions about why Indigenous youth continue to go missing at such alarming rates.”
As darkness fell completely, the group moved from the park to conduct another search of the surrounding neighborhood, armed with flashlights and determination. Sarah Cardinal led the way, her sister supporting her on one side and her brother on the other—a family refusing to give up hope.
Anyone with information about Amber Cardinal is urged to contact the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
This story isn’t just about a missing teenager—it’s about a community’s response to systemic issues that have persisted for generations. As the search continues, Edmonton shows its capacity for compassion while confronting uncomfortable truths about who goes missing and why some disappearances receive more attention than others.
And as I walked alongside searchers calling Amber’s name into the darkness, I couldn’t help but wonder how many more vigils will be needed before meaningful change occurs.
