Cathy Merrick , Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, speaks to media in Winnipeg on February 10, 2023.JOHN WOODS/The Canadian Press
Cathy Merrick, Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs who was the first woman elected to represent 63 First Nations in the province and lauded as a champion of Indigenous rights across the country, has died. She was 62.
Ms. Merrick was addressing reporters outside the provincial courthouse in downtown Winnipeg Friday when she suddenly collapsed. Bystanders, including a city police detective, immediately started emergency resuscitation efforts, before she was rushed to St. Boniface Hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the afternoon.
Within hours, flags outside Manitoba’s legislature were lowered to half-mast, as condolences from leaders nationwide began to pour in. Members of Ms. Merrick’s family in Cross Lake, a remote community of Cree people in the northern region of the province, confirmed the news of her death to The Globe and Mail, though requested privacy to process it.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he and his wife, Lisa Monkman, have known the Grand Chief for years and will remember her drive to get things done – but, most of all, her hugs.
“No matter how challenging or difficult any political conversation was, Cathy Merrick always greeted you and said farewell by hugging you,” Mr. Kinew said late Friday. “She approached her work with joy, compassion, thoughtfulness and a spirituality that was grounded in the belief that we are all equal in the eyes of the Creator and that we all deserve to live a good life.”
Ms. Merrick began her career as a councillor for the Cree people in Pimicikamak, an area along the shore of the Nelson River at its entrance to Cross Lake in northern Manitoba. After serving as councillor for 12 years, she was elected chief of Pimicikamak in 2013, a position she held for five years.
In October, 2022, Ms. Merrick made history by becoming the first woman Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the advocacy group that represents all 63 First Nations across the province. Last month, she was re-elected for a three-year term.
Canada’s Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree said Ms. Merrick was a fierce advocate for all Indigenous people and her death is a shock. Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Indigenous Services, added in a separate statement that Ms. Merrick “inspired generations of young women to stand up and use their voice for change.”
“She was a tireless advocate,” said Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Winnipeg-area MP representing the province in the federal cabinet. “Her spirit and legacy is an example to us all.”
Manitoba RCMP Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy said the Grand Chief helped Mounties revolutionize and prioritize how they handle cases involving First Nations, especially for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he considered Ms. Merrick not only a wise colleague, but also a friend. “I extend our heartfelt condolences to all who are mourning this profound loss,” he said.
In a joint statement, Manitoba’s Chief Judge and justices from the Court of Appeal and Court of King’s Bench said Ms. Merrick will forever be known as a passionate and caring leader. “She brought forward systemic issues and engaged openly with the courts to carve a new path forward together,” they wrote.
Ms. Merrick stood before Court of King’s Bench Justice Glenn Joyal just last week, advocating for the families of four Indigenous women murdered by a serial killer in Winnipeg.
“We seek healing, your honour,” Ms. Merrick told the judge, as he sentenced the man to life in prison. Justice Joyal noted in court how profound the Grand Chief’s statement was.
Mr. Kinew also addressed Ms. Merrick’s advocacy for the murdered women. A search is now under way to locate their remains in a landfill, thanks in large part to her years-long efforts.
“Searching the landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, and other important steps to improve the lives of First Nations people in our province, we rededicate these efforts to the memory of the late Cathy Merrick,” Mr. Kinew said Friday.
Cambria Harris, daughter of Morgan Harris, one of the four women killed, told The Globe she is devastated by the loss of Ms. Merrick.
“She represented the very soul of our people,” Ms. Harris said.
Ms. Merrick had been back in court Friday, taking questions from journalists about the not-guilty verdict in the case of Robert Morden, a jail guard accused of criminal negligence for the 2021 death of William Ahmo from the Sagkeeng First Nation.
She called the correction officer’s acquittal “a gross miscarriage of justice,” some of her last words before she collapsed.
“Things have to change in this province,” she said.
Ms. Merrick leaves her husband, three children and eight grandchildren.