Treaty One Territory – Interlake Reserves Tribal Council (IRTC)’s Chairman Chief Cornell McLean and Executive Director Karl Zadnik issued the following statement:

“Interlake Reserves Tribal Council leaders and community members send our support and our love to the families of the missing and murdered Indigenous women believed to be in the Prairie Green landfill. The discovery of human remains at the Prairie Green landfill is a painful reminder that families and communities continue to fight for justice for our loved ones – and that without those voices leading this fight, this discovery may have never happened.

We stand with the families and communities who have led the push to bring home Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran with unwavering love, strength and determination. Let this be a reminder that Indigenous Peoples – and Indigenous women and girls – matter and are sacred. They deserve dignity and to have a final resting place with their loved ones.

The families of the missing deserve answers. And they deserve to know what else will be done in this province to make sure every missing and presumed murdered Indigenous woman and girl comes home.

Let this also be a reminder to all leaders that they need to stand with Indigenous families and communities to bring our missing home and that they must exhibit the political will to do so even when it’s hard. We must do better. Governments must do better.

We want to thank Premier Kinew, Prime Minister Trudeau and their governments for doing what is right and helping these families bring their loved ones home. We also want to thank the search teams, the community members, and all those involved who are undertaking this incredibly difficult but important work.

It continues to be clear that immediate action is needed to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry must be fully implemented. We have to address and end the violence Indigenous women and girls face. IRTC stands in solidarity with the survivors and families of the missing, and we are committed to raising their voices and standing with them to get justice.”

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For more information, please contact:
Karl Zadnik
Executive Director, Interlake Reserves Tribal Council
[email protected]