Tears were shed and grief was shared as families of missing and murdered aboriginal women gathered in Saskatoon on the weekend.

One of them was Diane Big Eagle, who wiped away tears as she recalled the smile of her 23-year-old daughter Danita, who has been missing from her Regina home for the past three and a half months.

Big Eagle said she searches everywhere for Danita, a mother of two children. She has even asked people who dig through garbage cans to keep an eye out for her.

"That's a horrible thought, that somebody would put her in something like that, but you know, I want to find her," she said.

Big Eagle shared her story with other families going through a similar tragedy.

Included in the crowd were family members of Amber Redman, Daleen Bosse, and Melanie Geddes — other Saskatchewan aboriginal women who are missing.

"When they come together like this and have a circle and talking, it's a lot of healing," said Beverly Jacobs, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada.

Talking does help, Big Eagle said, but what keeps her going is the idea that her two grandchildren may one day be reunited with their mother.

She holds out the hope that her daughter will walk through her front door one day.

Meanwhile, her quest goes on. On Monday, Big Eagle was travelling to Winnipeg to follow up on a police tip.