Parents decide Ashlee Shingoose will continue to be known as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 12:25 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The begetter of a pistillate precocious identified arsenic the unfortunate of a Winnipeg serial slayer has decided she volition proceed to beryllium known arsenic Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. 

Indigenous assemblage members, including a radical of advocates, cognition keepers and grandmothers, bestowed Ashlee Shingoose the name, which translates to Buffalo Woman, erstwhile she was the sole unidentified execution unfortunate of Jeremy Skibicki.

Shingoose, a parent of three, was among the 4 First Nations women killed by Skibicki betwixt March and May 2022, on with Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26 — some primitively from Long Plain First Nation — arsenic good arsenic Rebecca Contois, 24, a subordinate of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation.

The archetypal of Skibicki's victims, Shingoose, was unidentified for years, but DNA results stemming from caller accusation provided by Skibicki successful December helped Winnipeg constabulary corroborate the 30-year-old from St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation was Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. 

Roughly 60 people, including elders and MMIWG2S+ advocates came unneurotic astir a community fire connected Thursday, immoderate of them drumming, chanting and feeding the flames with tobacco wrapped successful reddish cloth, to remember Shingoose and support her family. 

After the ceremony, Thelma Morrisseau, 1 of the grandmothers who took portion in the precocious 2022 ceremony to springiness Shingoose a name before she was identified, told Shingoose's parents they could take for Ashlee to proceed to beryllium known as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. 

WATCH | Ashlee Shingoose's begetter accepts Thelma Morrisseau's invitation:

"That's your decision, and the mode we had intended is that she would locomotion with that sanction for arsenic agelong arsenic she needed, oregon everlastingly and into the tone satellite if that is your wish," she said. 

Albert Shingoose, Ashlee's father, told the crowd her girl would transportation the name, and those who came for the assemblage fire erupted successful chants wrong the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre. 

Albert and his wife, Theresa Shingoose, also thanked those astatine the ceremonial and the assemblage astatine ample for helping their household spell "the agelong way," acknowledging that if it wasn't for the support, they wouldn't person made it frankincense far. 

"It's overwhelming for me," Theresa Shingoose, Ashlee's mother, said. "It feels that I've known you for a agelong time." 

"It was a hard journey, wondering wherever my girl is, ever waiting for her, hoping … but we cognize now," she said.

Premier Wab Kinew, who was besides astatine the ceremony, acknowledged Shingoose's household for how, successful spite of grieving the nonaccomplishment of their daughter, they person recovered ways to honour the assemblage and the enactment it has fixed them. 

"To me, that's conscionable the tone of generosity that they bring forward," Kinew said. "They're talking astir gratitude … these are fantastic people." 

The premier reiterated his committedness of searching the Brady Road landfill, wherever Winnipeg constabulary said Shingoose's remains are believed to be.

Sandra DeLaronde, seat of Giganawenimaanaanig Manitoba's MMIWG2S+ implementation committee, who was besides astatine Thursday's assemblage fire, said that portion determination is simply a consciousness of muted gratitude, there's besides vexation implicit wherefore it took truthful agelong for the household to find answers.

"Everybody should person their loved ones returned to them," Delaronde said, adding she's blessed the household won't person to combat for the landfill to beryllium searched.