National church leaders: Action in Support of the Voices at Camp Marcedes and Camp Morgan, 5 Sept at 4:00PM, Camp Morgan at Brady Landfill. All welcome.
At 4:00 PM Central Daylight on September 5, leaders of four major church denominations will join the voices of supporters at Camp Marcedes and Camp Morgan, urging provincial political leaders to give the go-ahead to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two missing Indigenous women, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. Harris has been missing since May 2022, and Myran since March of last year.
Church leaders will be at Camp Morgan, just outside the Brady landfill south of Winnipeg. You are invited to attend, and to join in prayer and reflection if you cannot attend in person.
The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of the United Church, The Rev. Mary Fontaine, Moderator of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, The Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Most Rev. Chris Harper, National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, and The Rev. Canon Dr. Murray Still, Co-Chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, will visit Camp Morgan, at the Brady Landfill outside Winnipeg, in solidarity with those calling for justice and an end to the violence against Indigenous women, children, and Two-Spirit people. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick and Chief Kyra Long, Long Plain First Nation, have been invited.
They will add their voices to the families, Indigenous communities, and non-Indigenous Manitobans and Canadians calling for a search of the Prairie Green landfill, and for serious action on the continued epidemic of violence targeting Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit people. More background from the national United Church is available here.
If you’re attending in person
A Google Maps link is here. Please wear red if you wish. Bring a camp chair if you can, to help those who cannot stand for long.
Carpooling: Two churches close to Brady are kindly offering their parking lot as a carpool area: Trinity United at 933 Summerside Ave; and Epiphany Lutheran Church, 200 Dalhousie Drive. People can park their cars, meet up with others, and car pool to get to Camp Morgan. We strongly encourage you to share rides, as parking in the area of the landfill is limited and narrow, and there is a lot of industrial traffic. It’s about a 10 minute drive from the churches to the entrance to Camp Morgan. A reminder again that the gathering starts at 4:00PM; plan on arriving at Trinity or Epiphany by about 3:15 if you can. Any updates will be posted here.
Possible livestream: We have decided not to do this at this time. We invite prayer, reflection, and commitments to action from all people everywhere at 4:00PM.
Adding your own voice
Another very important way to offer your support is to send the Premier and (if you’re in Manitoba) your MLA a message about your concerns. Prairie to Pine offers this letter as one guide, sent from the Executive in support of Indigenous-led calls to search the landfills. However, your own words and concerns, guided by Indigenous community members, are very important. Short phone, email, or written messages expressing your views are the most effective. Consider an ecumenical, interfaith, or community request to meet your MLA to convey your support for the search.
Resources for your community of faith
Prayer for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People, by Connor Sarazin, KAIROS, Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. Please click here.
Click here for an announcement slide
Announcement wording for your newsletters and worship:
At 4:00 PM on Tuesday September 5, leaders of four major church denominations will be at Camp Morgan just outside the Brady landfill in Winnipeg. They will urge provincial political leaders to give the go-ahead to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two missing Indigenous women, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.
The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of the United Church, The Rev. Mary Fontaine, Moderator of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, The Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Most Rev. Chris Harper, National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, and The Rev. Canon Dr. Murray Still, Co-Chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, will visit Camp Morgan in solidarity with those calling for justice and an end to the violence against Indigenous women, children, and Two-Spirit people. You are invited to join in prayer at that time, and to join in person if you can, to bear witness, to support the families and communities, and to continue our truth and reconciliation responsibilities. Please see the Prairie to Pine Regional Council website for details: www.prairietopinerc.ca
