WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
The daughters of Morgan Harris — one of four women police allege were killed by a Winnipeg man — say police told them their mother's remains are believed to be at a landfill north of the city, not the Brady Road landfill.
Kera and Cambria Harris say they were told by police on Monday that their mother's remains are believed to be at Prairie Green Landfill in Stony Mountain, Man., and officers gave a PowerPoint presentation to them, explaining why they won't search there.
"They say that they can't search because it's not feasible. Is human life not feasible?" Cambria said at a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
"Time and time again, our Indigenous women and brothers and sisters have to come here, and we have to shout and we have to raise our voices begging for change and begging for justice for our people, and that is wrong."
Winnipeg police did not immediately respond to requests for more information, but are expected to hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m., which the CBC will live stream on this page.
Cambria and her sister Kera travelled from Winnipeg to Ottawa with a number of First Nations advocacy organizations to demand help from the federal government to address the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Police said last week they believe Morgan, who was from Long Plain First Nation but living in Winnipeg, was killed by Jeremy Skibicki. Her remains haven't been found.
Skibicki was charged in May with first-degree murder in the death of Rebecca Contois, 24, another First Nations woman living in Winnipeg. Her partial remains were found at the Brady Road landfill.
On Thursday, police said he's also charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Morgan, Marcedes Myran, who was also from Long Plain, and an unidentified woman whom community members have named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
Last week, Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth said he believes the three additional women's remains were in a landfill, but said too much time has passed and officers will not conduct another search of the Winnipeg facility.
"We have no starting point. It wouldn't be a feasible search at this point," Smyth said after a Winnipeg Police Board meeting Friday morning.
Morgan's daughter Kera said police should do whatever it takes to find the remains of the women.
"If you can't find them, then why haven't you asked for help? Why can't you ask for help nationwide rather than just having a small amount of people conduct the searches?" she said at the Ottawa news conference.
Community members are willing to offer help, she said.
"How can you even fathom the idea to leave them there? These women are deserving of a proper resting place, not to be left alone in a landfill in the dead of winter."
Cambria said her mother deserves a home.
"My mother didn't pass away with a home, so let's pay her the respect that she deserves by finally giving her one."
Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said all levels of government have failed Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people for centuries.
"I think as we recognize the failure of the federal government to keep these women safe, it's important to realize that there are women today that are in the same vulnerable place that these women were, and that continues," he said at the news conference.
He is scheduled to meet with Morgan Harris's family on Tuesday, as well as the chief of Long Plain First Nation, to discuss what supports the federal government can provide.
Support is available for anyone affected by details of this case. If you require support, you can contact Ka Ni Kanichihk's Medicine Bear Counselling, Support and Elder Services at 204-594-6500, ext. 102 or 104 (within Winnipeg), or 1-888-953-5264 (outside Winnipeg).
Support is also available via Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Liaison unit at 1-800-442-0488 or 204-677-1648.
