Protesters say they're fed up with NDP government inaction after promise to search landfill for slain women

Protesters demanding a search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of three First Nations women directed their anger at a new target Friday Premier Wab Kinew, who hasyet to deliver on his campaign promise.

Chants of "Bring out, Wab"rang across Manitoba's legislativegrounds on International Women's Day, asaround 300 peoplegathered to hear speechesafter a round dance and march through downtown Winnipeg.

"I'm sick of words with no action," said Cambria Harris. It'sbelieved the remains of her mother, Morgan Harris, are in the landfill.

"I'm sick of sitting in these rooms repeatedly [with] politician to politician, from premier to premier, and where has things gone? Nowhere. The progress stays the same," Harris said.

Policesaid a year agothey believe theremains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26,were takento thePrairie Green landfill,just north of Winnipeg, in May 2022. Police have said they werevictims of an alleged serial killer.

The families ofthe womenhave been fighting to have the landfill searched ever since.

'No more begging'

Friday's demonstration was part of a national day of action urging governments to begin scouringthe landfill. Several events were held across the country.

The Winnipeg event began with a rounddance, precedinga marchto the steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building, where Harris and others spoke.

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick told the crowd she's done with pleading.

"We are going to quitbegging. No more begging. Do thef---ing work," she said to rounds of cheers.

Harris said they voted Kinew'sgovernment into power last October because of his commitment to search the landfill which the previous PC government rejected and then turned itsopposition into an election issueand "now it's timefor him to hold up to his word," she said.

Friday's demonstration was held on International Women's Day.

"I don't understand how these governments can celebrate our women and our diversity when our women are still laying in landfills, in garbage dumps that remain gravesites to this day. Shame,"Harris shouted.

"How are you OK with letting women lie underneath piles of trash? What message and what precedent does that send?"

Jorden Myran, sister of MarcedesMyran, blasted Kinew for making"promise after promise," but proving to be "all talk and no action."

"Let's make some more noise and maybe he can hear us from in there,"she told the crowd.

A few hours later, the premier addressed reporters and again insisted his governmentwould search the landfill, but he would not commit to a timeline.

In February, Kinew was asked if he was confident the search would start in 2024 and he replied that he was.But on Friday, he said any previous timeline was more "aspirational" than specific.

"Activists who stand outside the building have an important role to play to push our government forward, and our role is different," he said. "We put in our work on this side and the activists and families put in their work."

Kinew added he wouldn't comment onoperational details or funding for the search,nor whether the process has facedany hurdles in the preceding months.

"I'm not at the stage of sharing details with the media. I think it's important to talk to family and talk to Indigenous leadership first," he said.

Harris said another meeting has been scheduled for March 25 involving all three levels of government.Kinew, federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree and representatives from the City of Winnipeg will meet with the Harris and Myran families.

Kinewalso saidFriday that his government will giveAMC $500,000 to provide support to the victims' families during thetrial of the man accused in their deaths, scheduled to begin at the end of April.

Jeremy Skibicki was charged in December 2022 with first-degree murder in the deaths of Harris, Myran and a still-unidentified woman latergiven the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

He hadbeen arrested and charged with first-degree murder in thedeath of Rebecca Contois, 24, earlier that year.

The AMCworking with input from technical experts, thefamilies of Harris and Myranand others shared a new landfill search feasibility report with all levels of government in January.

They've yet to sit down with the governments to discuss the report "and see the outcome" of that, the grand chief saidFriday, looking out at the demonstrators.

"When you don't respond to FirstNation leadership, we get our people together," she said.

Protesters slam NDP government's lack of progress on landfill search

7 months ago

Duration 2:40

As part of a national day of action, protesters demanding a search of the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of First Nations women say they want the promises of the NDP government to translate into action. Premier Wab Kinew repeated afterwards that a search would happen, but he declined to get into any specifics, including a timeline.