The Discarded

It has taken me weeks to even begin wrapping my head around the reality of what happened. The bodies of two out of three Indigenous women were found in a Winnipeg landfill. Not because the government cared. Not because law enforcement felt urgency. But because of relentless protests, an Indigenous premier, and the unwavering love of their families who refused to let these women be erased.

If not for Wab Kinew and the pressure of the communities standing behind these families, the search never would have happened. Those women would still be buried under mountains of waste. Their families would still be waiting, still be pleading, still be unheard.

How Did We Get Here?

In December 2022, a serial killer, Jeremy Skibicki, was charged with the murders of four Indigenous women: Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois, and an unidentified woman referred to as Buffalo Woman. While Rebecca Contois’s remains were found in a different landfill, authorities quickly confirmed that the bodies of Harris and Myran had likely been dumped in the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg.

Despite knowing this, the Manitoba government at the time—led by then-premier Heather Stefanson—refused to search for them. The justification? Cost, logistics, and supposed health risks. In other words, they decided that these women’s bodies were too difficult to retrieve. The government dismissed them, just as Canada has dismissed so many Indigenous women before.

The families were left to grieve without closure. Protests erupted. Community members, activists, and Indigenous leaders demanded action. For months, they begged for the right to bring their loved ones home. The federal government made empty statements about “support,” but no real movement occurred.

The message was loud and clear: Indigenous women were disposable.

How Long Did the Search Take?

It wasn’t until after Manitoba’s provincial election in October 2023—when Wab Kinew became the first Indigenous premier in the province’s history—that things changed.

One of Kinew’s first major decisions in office was to launch the landfill search that had been denied for over a year. He kept his promise to the families, pushing through the barriers that had been used as excuses for inaction.

The search officially began in January 2024. It was expected to take at least a year, with an estimated cost of $184 million. While the price tag was immediately criticized, the reality is that no dollar amount should determine whether families can lay their loved ones to rest.

Finding Them in the Landfill

In February 2024, after only weeks of searching, the remains of two women were found. After over a year of fighting, of being ignored, of being told it wasn’t worth the effort—these women were found.

Two families now have the chance to say goodbye. They have the right to hold ceremonies, to honor their daughters, sisters, and mothers with dignity. But even this small victory is tainted by the reality that one woman remains missing.

Buffalo Woman’s identity is still unknown. And the question remains: will the government care enough to ensure she is found, too?

How Did We Let This Happen?

This entire situation exposes a horrifying truth about Canada: our lives are not valued the same as others.

When white women go missing, there are nationwide searches. Their names dominate the headlines. Authorities leave no stone unturned. But when Indigenous women are murdered and dumped in landfills, the response is hesitation, excuses, and outright refusal to act.

What does it say about this country that a serial killer can confess, be convicted, and still, the government’s response is indifference?

What does it say that it took months of protests, a change in leadership, and the first Indigenous premier in Manitoba’s history to get even this much?

What does it say that Indigenous families had to fight against their own government just for the right to bury their loved ones?

We Are Not Trash

Indigenous women are not disposable.

We are not political inconveniences.

We are not statistics.

We are mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunties. We are life-givers, community leaders, and knowledge keepers.

We are still here.

And we will not stop demanding justice for the women who have been taken from us. For Morgan Harris. For Marcedes Myran. For Rebecca Contois. For Buffalo Woman. For the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who are still missing, still taken, still waiting to be found.

Because we are not trash.

And we will never let this country forget.