September 1st, 2023Mennonite Church Canada leaders have issued a statement urging governments to #searchthelandfill
Winnipeg — Mennonite Church Canada leaders have issued a statement urging governments to “#searchthelandfill.”
“As leaders within Mennonite Church Canada, we join the voices of our siblings in Christ calling for justice for Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran and for an end to the violence against Indigenous women, children, and Two-Spirit people.
“We urge all levels of government to support a search of Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of these two beloved children of God,” wrote the leaders in a joint statement.
The statement is signed by Michael Pahl, executive minister of Mennonite Church Manitoba, Doug Klassen, Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Canada, and four regional leaders representing Eastern Canada, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
“This is a matter of justice, but it is also simply a matter of loving our neighbour as ourselves," said Pahl. "Any of us would want everything done that could be done to find the remains of our loved ones so that we could bury them with dignity.”
Pahl invites Mennonites to join the gathering of Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Church leaders and members at Camp Morgan at Winnipeg’s Brady Road landfill on Tuesday, September 5 at 4:00 p.m. (CDT).
Camp Morgan was established in December, 2022. Camp Marcedes is located at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Both camps honour the lives of four Indigenous women believed to have been murdered: Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman), and Tanya Nepinak. At least Myran and Harris are believed to be buried within Winnipeg’s major garbage dumps.
Klassen said, “I want people to know that they don’t need to be a pastor or church leader to attend this solidarity gathering. Showing our support is another step in our journey toward reconciliation with Indigenous people.”
The Mennonite church statement adds that, “We are grateful to those within the Mennonite Church Canada family who have been showing active and practical support in solidarity with these efforts, as well as to those in other denominations who have carried the call for solidarity into the public sphere.”
Statement of support for #searchthelandfill:
As leaders within Mennonite Church Canada, we join the voices of our siblings in Christ calling for justice for Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran and for an end to the violence against Indigenous women, children, and Two-Spirit people.
We urge all levels of government to support a search of Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of these two beloved children of God.
We are grateful to those within the Mennonite Church Canada family who have been showing active and practical support in solidarity with these efforts, as well as to those in other denominations who have carried the call for solidarity into the public sphere.
Michael Pahl
Executive Minister, Mennonite Church Manitoba
Phone: 204-896-1616; Email: mpahl@mennochurch.mb.ca
Doug Klassen
Executive Minister, Mennonite Church Canada
Phone: 204-888-6781 ext. 115; Email: dklassen@mennonitechurch.ca
Ann Schultz
Executive Team Leader, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Gary Peters
Interim Executive Minister, Mennonite Church Saskatchewan
Brenda Tiessen-Wiens
Moderator, Mennonite Church Alberta
Shel Boese
Executive Minister, Mennonite Church British Columbia