Manitoba failing to protect lives of Indigenous women, girls, advocate says

Manitoba has done little to protect the lives of Indigenous women and girls in Manitoba since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its recommendations four years ago, some activists say.

A woman's body was recovered from Winnipeg's landfill on Monday — the second in 10 months, with more believed to be buried.

"Visualize that, if that was your loved one in the Brady landfill and garbage was continuously being dumped on their remains," said Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle.

"What does that tell you? It tells you the lack of respect for the lives of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, gender-diverse people."

The landfill is currently closed as police continue to investigate after 33-year-old Linda Beardy's body was discovered at the beginning of the week.

Anderson-Pyrz doesn't believe it should ever reopen as a landfill. 

"It should be turned into a memorial site because we know that there is more," she told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Thursday.

The partial remains of Rebecca Contois were discovered there in June 2022. 

Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with first-degree murder in her death and the deaths of three other women — Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26, and one who is yet to be identified. The bodies of those three women haven't been found, though Winnipeg police have said they believe the remains of Harris and Myran are at the privately owned Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg.

Police have not yet determined the location of the remains of the fourth victim, whom community members have named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

A feasibility study to determine whether it's possible to search and recover human remains from Prairie Green is expected in about four to six weeks.

Premier Heather Stefanson, who also spoke to Markusa on Thursday, was asked if she would commit to a similar study at Brady.

"I'm not ruling out anything," she said, but she is waiting until the investigations are complete, and then "we'll have those discussions going forward with various officials."

Stefanson also said her government is committed to implementing the 231 calls for justice that came out of the National MMIWG inquiry, pointing to the recent creation of the Manitoba Integrated Missing Persons Response, a hub to manage all reports of missing people in the province.

She also mentioned funding provided to the Clan Mothers Healing Village and Knowledge Centre north of Winnipeg.

Asked what she would commit to next, Stefanson said the province will continue working with the clan mothers "and other elders in the community who know best how to help their children."

"These things are not going to happen overnight, but I can tell you we're committed," she said.

Anderson-Pyrz, former co-chair of the Manitoba MMIWG Coalition, said she was disappointed by Stefanson's failure to offer concrete plans to tackle the calls for justice.

"We need action. We need resources," Anderson-Pyrz said.

"We've heard a lot about commitment, but that commitment has to be backed by action … and those who are in vulnerable situations have to feel the impact. We're going missing. We're dying at alarming rates, and we're experiencing violence at alarming rates."

The body of Anderson-Pyrz's sister, Dawn Anderson, was found in November 2011 outside her home in the northern Manitoba town of Leaf Rapids.

Anderson-Pyrz also mentioned Tanya Nepinak, who went missing in September 2011 and is presumed dead.

Winnipeg police have said they believe her body was dumped in a garbage bin and taken to the Brady landfill, but it has not been found.

"Your heart breaks each time. As an Indigenous community, we're in a perpetual state of grief," Anderson-Pyrz said.

Stefanson's promise to keep working with the clan mothers is good, but not good enough without input from groups dedicated to MMIWG, two-spirit and gender-diverse people, Anderson-Pyrz said.

"I value the grandmothers and the support and the ceremony and everything beautiful they bring to the circle," she said.

"But it's really critical to ensure the voices of those who are being impacted and who require supports and resources are part of the circle, that their voices are being heard … to create those protective factors and those pathways for prevention and security."