Canada’s national chief hopes the King’s representative in Manitoba can help her efforts to have a public inquiry probe the Winnipeg police investigation of a serial killer who preyed on four Indigenous women in 2022.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak discussed the issue with Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville during an hour-long meeting Wednesday.
She wants the “urgent establishment” of a First Nations-led inquiry into the deaths of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and the fourth victim who hasn’t been identified but is known as Buffalo Woman (Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe).
THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Adrian Wyld
National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak met with Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville, Wednesday.
“We want to know what causes this stuff to happen in the first place? Why was there such a reluctance to even look (at the landfill) in the first place?” Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday afternoon, alleging the police investigation into the women’s deaths in 2022 was flawed.
The request, however, was made to someone who has no ability to call an inquiry.
“The lieutenant governor does not have either the jurisdiction or the capacity to call an inquiry,” Neville told the Free Press.
The lieutenant governor is appointed to serve in a ceremonial role on behalf of the monarch.
“I expressed to the national chief my really deep concern for the families, and I can speak to the issue… I can’t advocate, but I can amplify,” Neville said.
The AFN annual general assembly passed a resolution July 10 that called for an inquiry to assess how Winnipeg police and the provincial government, which was headed by the Tories at the time, responded to the case.
Jeremy Skibicki, 37, was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder on July 11. The partial remains of Contois were found at the Winnipeg-area Brady Road landfill in 2022 and the remains of Harris and Myran are believed to be at the Prairie Green landfill, north of the city.
Woodhouse Nepinak wants an inquiry to look into the politicization of a search of Prairie Green for the women’s remains. She said she hopes an inquiry would change in the handling of cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Woodhouse Nepinak said she went to the King’s representative directly to get a response from the government.
“We know that she’s apolitical, but she’s also got a big voice in government,” Woodhouse Nepinak said. “We need everybody at the table.”
During a news conference at the annual premiers conference in Halifax, Premier Wab Kinew said his government is committed to listening to the concerns of the victims’ families, but stopped short of promising a public inquiry would be held.
“I just want (the families) to know we are there for them,” Kinew told reporters.
Melissa Robinson, a cousin of Harris, witnessed the assembly pass the motion calling for an inquiry in Montreal last week.
“It was amazing to go out there and have (their) support,” Robinson said.
Robinson and families of the other two known victims have asked for an inquiry for nearly two years, but with a conviction against Skibicki secured and a search of the Prairie Green landfill months away, the timing of the request seems right, Robinson said.
She also wants an inquiry to investigate the handling of vulnerable women by Winnipeg shelters.
“Our women don’t feel safe in these shelters… there has to be a better option rather than just kicking them out or refusing them entry.”
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia 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.
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