‘Changing that system': daughter of murder victim sees progress on Red Dress Day
'One year later, I can officially say that we were right,' Harris said Monday afternoon after speaking to a group of about 50 people at the University of Manitoba. 'We searched the Prairie Green Landfill, and we finally are changing that system.'
Harris, 24, delivered a 60-minute keynote that covered a myriad of personal stories about her and Morgan Harris, who was slain by convicted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki. Her remains were found in March after a search at the landfill north of Winnipeg.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Hundreds of people walked from Memorial Park to The Forks during the annual Red Dress Day memorial walk, Monday morning in Winnipeg.
Harris spoke at length about the difficulties she faced in receiving justice for her mother and three other victims, Ashlee Shingoose, Marcedes Myran and Rebecca Contois, including an unsuccessful discussion with former premier Heather Stefanson about searching the landfill for their remains.
The speech was preceded by a traditional Indigenous water and pipe ceremony and was one of several events across Winnipeg for Red Dress Day, held annually across Canada to remember the lives of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.
Harris said the landfill fight was an example of collective action, but said there was more work to be done. She mentioned Tanya Nepinak, who disappeared in 2011. Police believe her body was dumped in a garbage bin and taken to the Brady Road landfill.
Shawn Lamb was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Nepinak and two other women, Lorna Blacksmith and Carolyn Sinclair. He was convicted of manslaughter in the slayings of Blacksmith and Sinclair, but his charges related to Nepinak's death were stayed.
Police searched part of the landfill for Nepinak in 2012 but called off the search after a week. No remains have ever been found.
Harris said the public needs to continue to pressure authorities to take more action to protecting Indigenous women and girls.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES
Cambria Harris, daughter of Morgan Harris: 'One year later, I can officially say that we were right.'
'We need to keep holding (the government) accountable so there isn't another Indigenous person standing in front of them asking to search the landfill,' Harris said.
Premier Wab Kinew has since spoken to Nepinak's family about a possible search for her remains.
Also Monday, the Manitoba government announced a $15-million MMIWG2S+ Healing and Empowerment Endowment Fund it established last year accrued more than $350,000 and it would be giving the money to five Indigenous organizations to support families of MMIWG.
The province will split the funds between Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the Southern Chiefs' Organization, Giganawenimaanaanig, the Manitoba Métis Federation Infinity Women's Secretariat and Tunngasugit.
Families can apply for the fund to cover a variety of things, including costs related to searching for missing women and girls, funerals, headstones and school tuition for family members.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Drumming and singing, dressed in red and carrying signs and banners, hundreds walked along Broadway to Main Street then north to York Avenue where they entered The Forks and made their way to the Oodena Circle.
Manitoba is Canada's only jurisdiction to have an endowment fund operate in perpetuity to support MMIWG families and related organizations, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said.
'What that means is that MMIWG2S+ families across the country don't have the means to be able to access dollars that they might need,' she said at the announcement.
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Elsewhere, hundreds walked from Memorial Park to The Forks as part of the Red Dress Day memorial walk.
People dressed in red walked along Broadway to Main Street drumming, singing and holding signs and banners. The walk ended at Oodena Circle at The Forks where there was more drumming, guest speakers and the opportunity to smudge.
Back at the university, Harris said community events and continuing dialogue surrounding MMIWG is important to address the ongoing crisis.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Drumming continued at The Forks as people settled on the grass, with very little shade and the temperature soared to almost 28C.
'When we collectively come together and acknowledge people such as myself, we're making that change for our future and younger generations,' she said.
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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