Reactions continue to pour in surrounding sudden death of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick

Reaction continues to pour in following the sudden death of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, after she collapsed Friday while speaking to reporters outside the Winnipeg law courts building.

“She was absolutely a woman of great courage, and she stepped into roles many times where she was the first woman stepping into that role,” said Sandra DeLaronde, the project lead of MMIWG2S+ Implementation Community with Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre. “I think she loved her people, and it showed in the work that she did.”

Trechelle Bunn, the Youth Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization in Manitoba added, “It’s difficult to describe the impact that Grand Chief Cathy Merrick has not only had on myself but our entire community and I think all across the country, across Turtle Island.”

Merrick was a major advocate for the 63 First Nations she served. She worked tirelessly for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, particularly calling on the province to search the landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.

She also spent her time supporting Indigenous women and youth across the province. 

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“Her willingness to support and work with youth has been important and I am sure they will carry that,” said DeLaronde.

Bunn added, “Grand Chief Cathy Merrick was one of our leaders who truly valued and followed with action and commitment to uplifting Indigenous youth voices and the voices of First Nations youth.”

Merrick spent more than a decade as a band councillor in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and became the Chief of the community in 2013. Merrick was then elected as the first female Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs back in 2022 and was recently re-elected in July.

“As a young Indigenous woman, as a young First Nations woman and leader, as the first female Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, she is a true inspiration to myself and a matriarch for so many young women and girls,” explained Bunn.

Merrick is set to lie in state at the Manitoba Legislature. A vigil will be held outside the law courts building Tuesday evening. A funeral is also being planned in her home community of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, in the coming weeks.