Manitoba advocates say provincial candidates need to tackle Indigenous issues

With just a few weeks until the provincial election in Manitoba, Indigenous advocates in the province are hoping to see more from the candidates on how they will tackle issues impacting the Indigenous community.

“There are some very pressing challenges right now that we are seeing in our community that we need to see provincial leadership on,” said Michael Redhead Champagne, an Indigenous advocate in Winnipeg. “I think we have not seen a lot of Indigenous conversations coming from any of the candidates, all the way up to the leaders, because it’s a tricky subject, especially in Manitoba.”

Champagne says there are many issues to raise leading up to the election, but none more important than searching the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of three Indigenous women.

“I think it’s critical for leaders to provide empathy and leadership in times where citizens in Manitoba are in crisis, as we are right now. My hope is that we start moving the search the landfill conversation more onto the political agenda as we get closer to Election Day.”

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew says if elected, his government will commit to a search of the landfill, while the Manitoba Liberals have promised to fund half the search. Heather Stefanson and the PCs are against funding a search due to health and safety concerns.

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“It’s the first time I’ll be voting, to get Heather out, because of the dismissiveness and the callousness she has shown the Indigenous community. I am appalled by it,” said Melissa Morrisseau, a member of Camp Marcedes.

Demonstration camps calling for the search for the remains of Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris and an unidentified victim known as Buffalo Woman have been set up across Winnipeg, including Camp Marcedes near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

While the landfill search is top of mind, Indigenous and reconciliation advocate Kyle Mason says it’s not the only issue at play.

“Our society would benefit from addressing reconciliation, it would benefit from dealing with the housing crisis, people living in tents by the river. Too many kids, particularly Indigenous kids in CFS (Child and Family Services). Our society should be judged by how we treat everybody, particularly the most vulnerable,” said Mason.

The PCs have promised to spend up to $1.3 million on treaty education resources for K-12 schools this fall.

The NDP has committed to open three 24/7 drop-in centres for Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people.

The Liberals have promised to return $338 million in federal child benefits they say were diverted away from Indigenous children in the province.

“It shows that, regardless of which party, reconciliation is something that is on their agenda, but in different ways,” said Dr. Sean Carleton, a historian and Indigenous studies professor at the University of Manitoba. “I think that viewers, as candidates come and knock on their doors, would do well to ask those candidates what specifically they would do if elected on this particular file.”

Manitobans head to the polls Oct. 3.