Family of Frist Nations woman believed to be in Brady Road landfill holds pipe ceremony to pray for her return

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 6:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Over the years, Sue Caribou has brought her drum with her to Brady Road Landfill to sing for her niece Tanya Nepinak, whose remains are believed to beryllium connected the site. 

Caribou feels her loved 1 person each clip she drums astatine Brady Road. This year, she wanted to stock that acquisition with others and prayed for the hunt of Nepinak's remains successful the landfill, holding a tube ceremonial connected Saturday. 

"There was a batch of enactment … it was precise special," Caribou said connected Sunday. 

Around 50 radical gathered for the ceremony, led by Ojibway grandmother Geraldine Shingoose, who prepared a medicine bundle wrapped successful a reddish cloth, along with a tone sheet for Nepinak. 

Before the ceremonial started, Caribou said determination was a airy breeze, but erstwhile the tube was lit and the drummer began playing, the upwind picked up with beardown gusts. 

"It was a almighty ceremony. That was the archetypal clip I had experienced thing that powerful," she said. "I walked astir the gross with my drum and I sang for my beauteous Tanya."

Posters with Nepinak's look were plastered astir the landfill's beforehand entrance, portion teddy bears were hung connected the fence. 

"I wanted to bash thing peculiar connected Easter … I wanted her to cognize that I ain't giving up," Caribou said. "I can't springiness up, she needs to beryllium brought home." 

Among those successful the assemblage were household and friends of Nepinak, MMIWG2S+ advocates and Winnipeg constabulary Supt. Bonnie Emerson. Caribou said the serviceman went successful lieu of Chief Gene Bowers who had been invited. 

Robyn Johnston helped Caribou, a person of hers, to signifier the ceremonial by contacting Shingoose and spreading the connection connected societal media.  

"I wanted Tanya to instrumentality the landfill back," Johnston said. "It was important for Sue and Tanya to beryllium recognized, to not beryllium ignored anymore and to beryllium enactment successful the forefront." 

Johnston said it is portion of the enactment to marque the hunt of the Brady Road landfill for her remains a world "rather than support hiding it." 

'I consciousness similar she was forgotten'

It's been much than 13 years since Nepinak, who was primitively from Pine Creek First Nation, went missing aft she near her location connected Winnipeg's Sherbrook Street successful September 2011.

In June 2012, Shawn Lamb was charged with second-degree execution successful transportation with her decease and disappearance, but those charges were aboriginal stayed.

Winnipeg constabulary person said they believed Nepinak's assemblage was dumped successful a garbage bin and taken to the Brady Road landfill. 

Even though a hunt for her remains was launched successful October 2012, it was cancelled aft six days with nary grounds located.

Manitoba committed to hunt the Brady Road landfill for the remains of Ashlee Shingoose, who was precocious identified arsenic 1 of the 4 First Nations women murdered by a Winnipeg serial slayer successful 2022.

Caribou has been pushing for that hunt to besides see betterment efforts for Nepinak.  

Earlier this period she brought her plea straight to Premier Wab Kinew, though determination wasn't an authoritative confirmation connected the hunt then. Caribou is inactive slated to speech with Kinew successful May.

"I'm benignant of frightened that they mightiness not [do it] …  that it's conscionable going to beryllium truthful wrong," she said. 

For now, different crushed down hosting ceremonies similar Saturday's is to forestall Nepinak's representation from fading again aft the past hunt for her was called off. 

"I consciousness similar she was forgotten … It broke my bosom that they didn't bash that benignant of effort for my loved one," she said, referring to the hunt of the Prairie Green Landfill that led to the betterment of remains belonging to Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran earlier this year. 

"It was heartbreaking … knowing that she was near behind," Caribou said. 

But she is praying that this time Nepinak's remains volition beryllium returned location and enactment to rest.

"She deserves to beryllium successful a due burial ground," Caribou said. "They can't conscionable permission her up there."