FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 8, 2025
HONOURING FAMILIES, DEMANDING JUSTICE: NATIONAL FAMILY AND SURVIVORS CIRCLE INC. CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION AND AN INQUIRY INTO STRUCTURAL AND SYSTEMIC RACISM IN POLICING
The National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC) stands in unwavering solidarity with all families impacted by the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. We honor the families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman), and every family that is still searching for their missing loved ones. Their strength, resilience, and love are immeasurable. Their pain is profound. Their courage is undeniable. Their calls for justice must be met with action, not silence.
The confirmation that Morgan Harris’s remains have been found at the Prairie Green Landfill is heartbreaking, and it is a moment of reckoning for this country. We must remember that Morgan was more than a victim—she was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. She was loved. She was cherished. Her life mattered. So did the lives of Marcedes Myran and Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, and so do the lives of the many Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people whose families are still waiting for justice. The agony of waiting, the weight of not knowing, is a burden no family should ever bear.
This is not just a tragedy—it is a crisis. A crisis that Canada has failed to stop. A crisis fueled by inaction, systemic and structural racism, and the continued dehumanization of Indigenous people. The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls must be on all political parties’ agendas, focused on actions and solutions. This moment demands more than words. It demands justice, accountability, and permanent change. We must all ask ourselves: How many more families must suffer before we say ‘enough’?
THE URGENT NEED FOR A FULL INQUIRY INTO STRUCTURAL AND SYSTEMIC RACISM IN POLICING
The failures of law enforcement in responding to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are not isolated incidents—they are part of a broader pattern of systemic and structural racism that has allowed this crisis to persist. Indigenous families have experienced dismissed reports, delayed investigations, and dehumanization at the hands of the very institutions that are supposed to protect them. Time and time again, these families have been forced to fight not only for justice but also for basic recognition of their loved ones’ worth.
We call for an independent inquiry into the Winnipeg Police Service, with a direct focus on how systemic and structural racism has shaped law enforcement responses to MMIWG2S+ cases. This inquiry must expose the failures, confront the discrimination, and lead to permanent structural changes. No more ignored cases. No more excuses. No more lost loved ones.
We acknowledge the collaboration of the Manitoba government and the federal government for jointly funding the search of the landfill. However, governments must do more to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the first place. We call for action to provide wraparound supports and services for vulnerable Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people that are accessible 24/7 and safe.
STATEMENT FROM HILDA ANDERSON-PYRZ, CHAIR, NATIONAL FAMILY AND SURVIVORS CIRCLE INC.
“Transformative action means real change felt on the ground, not just in words, but in the lived realities of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. We need more than promises—we need sustainable, Indigenous-led solutions that are fully resourced and implemented with urgency. Every policy, every initiative, every commitment must translate into safety, equity, and justice for our communities. The time for waiting is over. The time for transformative action is now.”
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY
This is a moment of reckoning for this country. The question is not whether change is needed—the question is whether we have the courage to demand it. We urge all governments to move beyond symbolic gestures and commit to real, lasting, Indigenous-led solutions. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people deserve to live in safety. Families deserve justice. Canada must uphold the inherent and human rights of Indigenous Peoples and ensure that no more families are forced to search for their loved ones in landfills, abandoned by the very institutions that are meant to protect them.
We call on every Canadian: Stand with us. Raise your voice. Demand justice. Call on your leaders to act. Hold law enforcement accountable. Do not let this be another moment of grief without action. Together, we can ensure that no family is left to fight alone. Together, we can end this genocide. Together, we can create real, lasting change.
We understand that this subject matter is difficult for many people in our community. If you require immediate support, please contact the national, independent toll-free 24/7 support line at 1-844-413-6649 to speak to a counsellor. The service is available in English, French, Cree, Anishnaabemowin (Ojibway), and Inuktitut.
About the National Family and Survivors Circle, Inc.
The NFSC Inc. is a legally incorporated, non-profit organization comprised of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations women from diverse backgrounds who use their lived expertise to advocate for centering the voices of families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, survivors of gender-based violence, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in the implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice, the National Action Plan on MMIWG2S+, and the Federal Pathway.
NFSC Inc website: https://familysurvivorscircle.ca/
Media Inquiries: info@familysurvivorscircle.ca
