Winnipeg, Dec. 12, 2022 – Manitoba Moon Voices (MMVI) stands with the families and relatives of Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris and the unidentified family of Buffalo Woman and calls on authorities to take action.
“We should never have to beg for basic human rights,” says Denise Cook, MMVI Co-Chairperson. “We fully stand with and support the families calling for their missing loved one’s right to be found, returned to their families, and treated with dignity.
Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth has said too much time has passed and a search of the landfill isn’t feasible. However, this inaction continues the genocide of Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people. This is not just a continual state of emergency, but the reality faced by Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people every single day.
“It’s clear the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse individuals continues to worsen, and our community is at the center of the storm,” says Mel Critch, Co-chair of MMVI.
“Indigenous women deserve more, more respect than they are given, this is clear from the police service’s unwillingness to take action. The protection and service doesn’t exist for Indigenous women and the Indigenous community,” says Cook.
“Our community is hurting. These women are our relatives. How many more Indigenous girls, women and gender diverse people have to go missing in order for our voices to be heard and our women to be valued and respected? Our people are angry, frustrated, and disgusted that Winnipeg Police Service states that a search is ‘not feasible’ and that a landfill will be their final resting place, without the dignity and honor they deserve. We will never accept this,” says Shannon Hoskie, Executive Director of MMVI.
MMVI believes all Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people deserve to be protected and be safe in their communities. Our children deserve to know their mothers, aunties, Kookums and two-spirit relatives will return home to them safely every day and will be afforded the same protections as any other member of a society.
MMVI is an organization that represents the interests of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse individuals in Manitoba – both as the Provincial Territorial Member Associate of the Native Women’s Association of Canada and a member of the MMIWG-Manitoba Coalition – MMVI. is committed to confronting and challenging gender-based violence.