On the front lines
Indigenous grandmother offers hugs and help finding missing Indigenous women in Winnipeg.
Two months ago, I saw the post on Facebook about a missing woman. The name was vaguely familiar, and she was from my hometown, Kenora. I waited a couple of days before sharing the post on my page. She was still missing and there was no information about where in Winnipeg she might be.
Then I got a message from my cousin, Karen. The missing woman was a family member: the mother of Karen’s grandson. She had come to the city by bus and then disappeared, with no contact with friends or family for a week.
I took a day off from work to search the downtown area of the city, showing her picture to strangers and police. There was still no sign of her, or information about her whereabouts. I came home disappointed.
Karen messaged me that she was coming in from Kenora to the city to help search for her daughter-in-law. We rode around the city in the evenings, searching bars and back lanes. Even the soup kitchens. On the first day of our search with no luck, we were concerned but still hopeful. Another family was also searching for her.
The second day of our search, we began to search known drug areas of the city. We only had a male relative to assist us and to keep us safe. There was no assistance from the police. Another day of searching ended with no sign of, or word from, the woman. My cousin and I began to feel frightened and very concerned about the missing woman. I was also feeling angry and frustrated with the lack of support from local agencies. I never felt so alone. I am used to doing stories and taking pictures of marches and rallies for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, but now I was on the inside of the story.
On the third day, I was waiting for my cousin to pick me up to do another search of the city, when I got a message: the missing woman was in the hospital. She was brought to the hospital by “friends.” It seemed like our search and the posters that we put around the bars of Main Street rattled someone enough to bring her to the hospital. We got more of the story of what happened to her. Allegedly, she may have been trafficked and if she hadn’t become ill, the plan was to send her to B.C. My family was relieved she was found and back in the safety of our family circle.
Cries for justice
A short time later, another tragedy came to light. The body of an Indigenous woman was found in the city landfill. The news shook up the Indigenous community. We were still coping with the news of the bodies of four murdered Indigenous women found in the landfill last year. The police did a quick investigation and said she had climbed into the garbage bin and died when the contents of the bin were dumped at the landfill. The Indigenous community did not accept the news and held a rally at the intersection of Portage and Main. Close to a thousand people gathered at the famous intersection to support the family of Linda Beardy, the woman found in the landfill. The group of supporters and family members walked to the police station to publicly voice their concerns.
Other family members of murdered and missing women attended the rally, and held up signs of their loved ones. A sea of red signs moved along the street to the Winnipeg Police station. The smell of sage in the smudge pot was in the air. Drums and singing mixed in with the blue smoke of the smudge. Women were yelling for justice as they walked along the street. I walked with the group. As I often do at events like this, I was taking pictures, but my recent experience searching for my family member had changed my perspective. I felt angry and disappointed with the police. I wondered: will I be next?
A couple of weeks later, the body of yet another murdered woman was found at the Winnipeg waterfront. A public appeal is being done to find out who she is. A Facebook post is being shared among members of the Indigenous community to try to find out who the woman is.
As I finished up writing this article, the police found another body at a downtown bus shelter. No word yet if it is another Indigenous woman, but that is the first thing I wonder.
I am on the front lines: as a grassroots activist member of the Indigenous community, a photographer and writer. But I am also a community Kookum, a grandmother to the community.
I am here to support my community in any way I can, from hugs to helping search for a loved one. Sadly, it has been very busy on the front lines lately – for this Indigenous woman who is left wondering if she is next.
