Dozens of red dresses now adorn the wigwam near the entrance to Winnipeg’s Brady Road landfill, courtesy of supporters from Edmonton who came to show solidarity with those at Camp Morgan.
This comes as the province stands firm on its decision not to search the landfill where the bodies of two Indigenous women are believed to be.
Judith Gale, Leader for the Bear Claw Beaver Hills House gave an emotional plea for governments to search the the Prairie Green landfill — where Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are believed to be.
“Give them the proper dignity and send them off in a good way. Not in a landfill. No one should go out in a landfill.” Gale said.
The Bear Claw Beaver Hills House is an organization in Edmonton. It is an Indigenous-led group that provides shelter and harm reduction programs.
Formerly called Bear Clan, they changed their name after the members of the Bear Clan in Winnipeg acted as police liaisons during the landfill blockade.
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Gale brought with her 156 red dresses, one for each year since confederation. The dresses now hand above memorials for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Supporter John Gonzalez from Pimicikamak First Nation said people will keep growing this campaign until it reaches a global audience.
“People are looking for closure. This is really the tip of the iceberg for what Indigenous people have experienced throughout colonial Canada.”
And supporter Kathy Hamelin wants people to remember that many of the victims were children.
“A 14-year-old is a child. I remember when I was 14, I was a child. Eighteen, I was still a child. Seventeen, I was still a child.”
The red dresses signify the people who are gone and who supporters will continue to fight for.
“We want to just come support and let our presence be known, and understand that this isn’t an issue that’s going away, that it has to be dealt with,” said Kathleen Mpulubusi, Supporter.
— with files from Global’s Katherine Dornian
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