The Current

'I just want to find my daughter. I just want to bring her home.' MMIW mother on her continued search

To end The Current's public forum in Winnipeg talking about MMIW cases, we heard from families in the audience about their struggles with access to support from the police and community in their desperate search for their loved ones.

"It's not just an Indigenous issue": mother of Jennifer Catcheway who went missing in 2008.

8 years ago
Duration 1:17
"It's not just an Indigenous issue": mother of Jennifer Catcheway who went missing in 2008.

Read story transcript

*This is a special edition of The Current from Winnipeg where the show hosted a public forum on ​the issue of policing when it comes to missing and murdered Indigenous women.*

The town hall ended with an open question and answer session between the members of the audience and the panel.

During this session families shared their struggles with access support from the police and the community in their desperate search for their loved ones.

The search for Jennifer Catcheway

Jennifer Catcheway went missing eight years ago. For her mother Bernice, it feels like it was just yesterday. She spoke about the lack of communication between the police and her family.

"The day I heard that Jennifer's case was a homicide was on the news," she says.

"It's not just an Indigenous issue, it's everybody's issue," says Bernice Catcheway. Her daughter Jennifer went missing in 2008.

Bernice and Jennifer's father, Wilfred Catcheway spend all their days off searching for any evidence of their daughter's whereabouts.

"We stop relying on the RCMP," says Bernice. "They say 'we're with you. We're standing with you.' Well I don't see them standing with us."

"I never get a call from the RCMP." 

​Gwen Wilson, mother of slain teen Hillary Angel Wilson, addressed members of the RCMP at Winnipeg public forum.

8 years ago
Duration 1:24
​Gwen Wilson, mother of slain teen Hillary Angel Wilson, addressed members of the RCMP at Winnipeg public forum.

Justice for Hillary Angel Wilson

Gwen Wilson feels the same way. Gwen's daughter, Hillary Angel Wilson, was found murdered in 2009.

"I am unable to step forward knowing of what happened… unable to move ahead. Even more so when I hear that someone else met the same fate as my Hillary," she says.

"I've been trying to live life knowing that there is justice. But unfortunately there is no such thing for us. Because it's just us that are being hurt. Just us still in pain."

Listen to the full segment at the top of this post.

Our Winnipeg public forum was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch, Cathy Simon, Kathleen Goldhar and Winnipeg network producer Suzanne Dufresne.