Trafficked woman hopes sharing her story will help girls back home in Akwesasne

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

Sierra, 34, is determined to speak out about how she survived what she calls a hellish ordeal.

Raised by a mother who moved frequently between the United States and Akwesasne — a Mohawk community bordering Cornwall, Ont. — Sierra said she had a chaotic childhood, including being raped several times. 

It was in Texas, at the age of 14, that she met the man who later sold her. 

The trafficker, twice her age and at first charming, began selling her to many clients, she said.

The first time traumatized her forever.

"I don't know how long it went on, how many men raped me. I just remember fainting many times from the pain," Sierra recalls. "I was praying to die … I disconnected from my body, and when I came to my senses, I couldn't walk or sit."

The man kept her away from her family by controlling her every move, using several tactics to maintain his hold on her, she said. 

"All the pain and rage I felt as an abused child rubbed off on my behaviour. All I wanted to do was rebel."

Sierra endured this ordeal for five months until she developed a serious infection and her trafficker, fearing she would die, left her in hospital in critical condition, she said. Doctors contacted her mother, who came to her bedside.

Once recovered, Sierra returned to Akwesasne and stayed at a rehabilitation centre for young girls before returning to school.

"The pain will fade with time, but the scars will remain. They allow us to never forget that we got through it. They remind you that you are a survivor, not a victim," Sierra said.

CBC has agreed to only identify Sierra by her first name because she fears repercussions for her career.

Throughout her interview, she held the hand of Patrick Dussault, a human trafficking liaison officer at a family wellness centre in Akwesasne.