AMC Commends Major Church Denominations for Support of Landfill Searches
August 29, 2023
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
AMC Communications
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) commends United Churches of Canada for their solidarity in calling on the province to search two Winnipeg landfills. Leaders from four denominations announced their support for the families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman) and Tanya Nepinak, indicating a significant step forward in healing the historic relationship between First Nations and the church.
“On behalf of AMC, we are grateful for the united support from church leadership in searching the landfills for our missing loved ones,” said AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. “All levels of government must work together to implement the 231 calls to justice and get real about reconciliation because commitment means nothing without meaningful action.”
Following Heather Stefanson’s announcement of not providing funding for the landfill search, there has been an overwhelming and consistent stream of announcements showcasing united solidarity from various church denominations. This collective effort stands as a powerful gesture of reconciliation, with church leaders now planning to gather at Camp Morgan on Tuesday, September 5th, at 4 PM.
“We strongly hold the belief that the collective unity of these groups in supporting the families will demonstrate to the world that this issue is not exclusive to First Nations in Manitoba,” said Grand Chief Merrick. “It’s not just our people demanding justice. We are receiving support from around the world because people recognize that the issue before us is a human rights issue.”
The AMC maintains its advocacy for all missing and murdered relatives, urging all levels of government to enact the 231 calls to justice. We also call on Canada to acknowledge and fulfill its duty as a Treaty partner to ensure fiduciary assistance to facilitate the provision of necessary resources and services to put an end to this ongoing human rights crisis.
For more information, please contact:
Communications Team
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Email: media@manitobachiefs.com
About the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly affect First Nations in Manitoba. AMC is an authorized representative of 62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a total of more than 151,000 First Nation citizens in the province, accounting for approximately 12 percent of the provincial population. AMC represents a diversity of Anishinaabe (Ojibway), Nehetho / Ininew (Cree), Anishininew (Ojibwe-Cree), Denesuline (Dene) and Dakota Oyate (Dakota) people.