Landfill debate raising questions about relationship between Indigenous, non-Indigenous Manitobans

Alisha Bigelow walked Thursday with those demanding a search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women, but also apart.

She marched on the median, in between the westbound protesters and eastbound drivers on Portage Avenue in the downtown core.

She wanted to search the eyes of the drivers who weren't part of their rally calling to search for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. At one point, she pumped her fist when a motorist honked in support.

"Maybe the people in the cars will not know what's going on, they'll listen to the news tonight and they'll find out what this event is," said Bigelow, a member of White Bear First Nation in Saskatchewan who grew up in Flin Flon, Man., and is now in Winnipeg. 

"I like to be in front, gaining awareness, making eye contact with people." 

Calls to comb through the privately run Prairie Green landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran have intensified in the month since Premier Heather Stefanson announced her government would not support such a search.

Those who want a search, including First Nations leaders and families of the victims, have worked tirelessly to keep the issue in the public eye, blockading another landfill and setting up a protest camp in the shadow of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. 

On Thursday, they stopped afternoon traffic with a round dance at Portage and Main before marching to the Manitoba Legislature.

CBC News sought out people along the route of Thursday's protest, asking them where they think relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people stands today, and while no consensus emerged, there are feelings of hope and frustration.

Kyrra Kematch experienced both emotions on Thursday.

Before the round dance, Kematch, 18, was already wearing her ribbon skirt and a red handprint painted across her face when she visited a store. There, she was confronted by a woman, who asked if she'd also search for the white people who had gone missing.

Later, Kematch said she was approaching Portage and Main on the bus, when fellow riders noticed the commotion of people gathering for the round dance.

One passenger asked Kematch why her face was painted red.

"Oh, to search for the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.' And he's like, 'Oh yeah, good for you. Go do that,'" she said.