Public Gathering for Healing at Island Park for Greywind Family

Anyone who felt emotionally affected by what happened to Greywind was welcome

FARGO, ND — It’s a time for emotional healing in Island Park.

Family members, friends and people who feel affected by what happened to Savanna Greywind gathered for a ceremony to remember her.

It’s been just over one month since Savanna Greywind went missing.

“A space for people to come together for healing,” said Ruth Bufalo of the Fargo Native American Commission.

Many people who never met her came together to help search.

As details about what happened to her become more apparent, they’re coming together to mourn.

“That’s kind of the beauty of our culture is that we welcome all people,” Buffalo said. “It’s rooted in community.”

Savanna’s father, mother and her baby, Haisley Jo were present.

Other friends, searchers and passersby took part.

To respect their cultures and practices, we did not film the ceremony while it was in progress.

Leaders said doing so would be like taking video of a funeral.

“It’s very private,” Buffalo said. “A lot of these practices have survived the test of time.”

“So it’s something that we need really to be able to move forward so we don’t get sick and stay sick and angry and a lot of those things that we’re feeling right now and I’m sure the family are feeling,” said Sandi Berlin of Fargo. “My daughter was actually having a baby. She had the baby the day before Savanna’s baby was born. So it hit very close to home.”

Spiritual Leader JR Fox led the ceremony as people prayed and reflected.

He told the crowd, English words could not describe how beautiful these ceremonies are: but participants would instead feel it.

A sweat lodge in southwest Fargo began after the ceremony finished in Island Park.