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

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 be on the site. 

Caribou feels her loved one closer every time she drums at Brady Road. This year, she wanted to share that experience with others and prayed for the search of Nepinak's remains in the landfill, holding a pipe ceremony on Saturday. 

"There was a lot of support … it was very special," Caribou said on Sunday. 

Around 50 people gathered for the ceremony, led by Ojibway grandmother Geraldine Shingoose, who prepared a medicine bundle wrapped in a red cloth, along with a spirit plate for Nepinak. 

Before the ceremony started, Caribou said there was a light breeze, but once the pipe was lit and the drummer began playing, the wind picked up with strong gusts. 

"It was a powerful ceremony. That was the first time I had experienced something that powerful," she said. "I walked around the gate with my drum and I sang for my beautiful Tanya."

Posters with Nepinak's face were plastered around the landfill's front entrance, while teddy bears were hung on the fence. 

"I wanted to do something special on Easter … I wanted her to know that I ain't giving up," Caribou said. "I can't give up, she needs to be brought home." 

Among those in the crowd were family and friends of Nepinak, MMIWG2S+ advocates and Winnipeg police Supt. Bonnie Emerson. Caribou said the officer went in lieu of Chief Gene Bowers who had been invited. 

Robyn Johnston helped Caribou, a friend of hers, to organize the ceremony by contacting Shingoose and spreading the word on social media.  

"I wanted Tanya to take the landfill back," Johnston said. "It was important for Sue and Tanya to be recognized, to not be ignored anymore and to be put in the forefront." 

Johnston said it is part of the work to make the search of the Brady Road landfill for her remains a reality "rather than keep hiding it." 

'I feel like she was forgotten'

It's been more than 13 years since Nepinak, who was originally from Pine Creek First Nation, went missing after she left her home on Winnipeg's Sherbrook Street in September 2011.

In June 2012, Shawn Lamb was charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death and disappearance, but those charges were later stayed.

Winnipeg police have said they believed Nepinak's body was dumped in a garbage bin and taken to the Brady Road landfill. 

Even though a search for her remains was launched in October 2012, it was cancelled after six days with no evidence located.

Manitoba committed to search the Brady Road landfill for the remains of Ashlee Shingoose, who was recently identified as one of the four First Nations women murdered by a Winnipeg serial killer in 2022.

Caribou has been pushing for that search to also include recovery efforts for Nepinak.  

Earlier this month she brought her plea directly to Premier Wab Kinew, although there wasn't an official confirmation on the search then. Caribou is still slated to talk with Kinew in May.

"I'm kind of scared that they might not [do it] …  that it's just going to be so wrong," she said. 

For now, another reason behind hosting ceremonies like Saturday's is to prevent Nepinak's memory from fading again after the last search for her was called off. 

"I feel like she was forgotten … It broke my heart that they didn't do that kind of effort for my loved one," she said, referring to the search of the Prairie Green Landfill that led to the recovery of remains belonging to Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran earlier this year. 

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

But she is praying that this time Nepinak's remains will be returned home and put to rest.

"She deserves to be in a proper burial ground," Caribou said. "They can't just leave her up there."