On Monday, surrounded by Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran’s family, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs condemned Premier Heather Stefanson’s refusal to help fund the search of the Prairie Green Landfill.
“They are not garbage…yet they are being treated like garbage, left in a landfill site,” said Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.
Monday’s conference comes after days of a blockade outside another landfill where protesters called on the provincial government to act on findings from a feasibility study.
That study suggests that possible health risks could be mitigated and that if a search is not conducted, it could be harmful for the families of the women believed to be in the landfill.
“It was disheartening, to say the least, that neither she nor her staff had reviewed the final report in detail, and if they had, they did not ask to meet with our experts,” said Merrick.
The panel included people who had worked on the B.C. Pickton case and the search of a similar landfill in Ontario, and the report describes excavations processes, safety precautions, and technology they say has had success in the past. Each had a message that clashed with Stefanson’s reasons for her decision not to search.
“The search can be conducted safely. Any argument I guess that would oppose those findings, in our opinion, aren’t necessarily based in fact,” said Kristopher Dueck from Rocky Mountain Forensic Consulting.
Additionally, former deputy chief Sean Spalding with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service noted landfill searches can be effective.
“In our case, we had probably over 20 police officers involved in that case but individual community members and other workers can be trained to do the same work and in the same processes.”
While a search doesn’t guarantee finding the victims’ remains, some experts say, it’s necessary to move toward reconciliation.
Jacqueline Romanow, an Indigenous Studies professor with the University of Winnipeg says a search is a symbolic opportunity for the government and Indigenous community to work together and it shouldn’t be thrown away.
“This is a symbolic act to show that we value Indigenous women, we value Indigenous people, we value reconciliation, and going forward things are going to be different.”
Global News reached out to the premier for an interview, which was declined. However, in a statement, her office said, “There is no guarantee of finding remains, and immediate and long-term health and safety risks are real and cannot be ignored. We must preserve the integrity of the justice proceedings.”
After the conference on Monday, which explained the safety precautions, Global News reached out again for a comment but did not receive a reply.
Harris’s cousin, Melissa Robinson, says the decision not to search the landfill is only helping to confirm perceptions regarding people’s care for Indigenous women and their families.
“The people who threw these bodies away, they did because no one would care. And guess what, no one really is putting in the care and attention, and that reinforces the worst of stereotypes,” said Robinson.
Merrick said both the province and the federal government must show compassion, respect and accountability to the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
“This room should be full of support for MMIWG and the organizations that get funding for that purpose. The feasibility study report indicates that a search of Prairie Green Landfill can be done so it’s time to act now.”
On Friday, a court injunction to have the blockade removed was burned on the spot during tense moments among protesters. In an emailed statement, the Winnipeg Police Service said the injunction authorized police to use discretion to arrest or remove people from the roadway.
Police added that it must balance the rights of all involved, with public safety objectives, saying protesters are encouraged to abide by the order and leave the roadway.
However, protesters said they want to remain near the Brady Road Landfill peacefully, with some saying it’s part of a healing process.
“For those women that lay in that landfill, they need to hear our dresses, they need to hear our drums, they need to know they matter, that we care,” said supporter Tracy Fiddler.
And with blockades still up at Brady Road and another Camp Morgan going up at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, it’s clear the families will continue to seek justice with or without the help of the government.
“I can assure you that camp morgan at Brady is not going anywhere until our landfills are searched,” said Robinson.
“I’m tired. We’re all tired. I don’t know why we are fighting for our government to do the right thing.”
— with files from Global’s Iris Dyck and Marney Blunt