Manitoba premier, advocates praise families' love, strength after remains found in landfill search

Advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people are praising the strength and determination of the families of two First Nations women who fought for a search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for their loved ones' remains.

Sheila North, the former grand chief of northern First Nations advocacy organization Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, said she was flooded with emotion Friday evening, when the family of Morgan Harris and the provincial government confirmed Harris's remains had been recovered at the Prairie Green landfill.

The province said on Feb. 26 that potential remains had been found at the landfill, north of Winnipeg. On Friday night, it confirmed those were the remains of Harris. The province also said a second set of human remains had been found there, but the identity of that person has not yet been confirmed.

Speaking with CBC Manitoba's Weekend Morning Show on Saturday, North became emotional as she acknowledged the love and strength of the families who have tirelessly pushed to find their loved ones' remains and lay them to rest.

"They took us on a journey that we all needed as a country — not just as a city, but as a nation — to show us that the fight is worth it and that the fight is hard, but you know, this is what happens when we don't give up," she said. 

"This is a victory for the families, for the allies, for the friends that worked hard, but also for other people that have kept the fight up all these years as well."

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Saturday he hopes the Harris family will have some sense of closure and healing now that they can hold a sacred ceremony to memorialize her.

"Through this journey, we have seen some remarkable strength and resilience and power from the family of Morgan," he said during a Saturday afternoon news conference at Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre in Winnipeg.

He also said he spoke to the Harris family on Friday evening, telling them, "Morgan's lucky to have you."

WATCH | Manitoba premier praises 'remarkable strength' of Morgan Harris's family

"I don't know how many of us would have had the persistence they've shown over the last couple years," he said.

"I hope that we recognize the family members of Morgan and Marcedes [Myran] as having been the people who called us to our better nature and to do the right thing."

He said the second set of remains has not yet been identified, and until then, the search at Prairie Green will continue.

Families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S) have been working alongside undergraduate forensic anthropology students from Manitoba and other parts of Canada to search the landfill, Kinew said.