31/07/2025
When Melissa Robinson’s cousin was murdered, she channelled her grief for good. She forced local police to search for her cousin's missing body and helped local indigenous women protect themselves.
Morgan Harris was one of four indigenous women, who in 2022, were targeted by a serial killer in the Canadian city of Winnipeg.
Their bodies ended up being dumped in landfill.
But when Melissa learned that police didn't plan to search for any of the women's remains, grief turned to fury.
“So you're telling us you won't look for her, but you want us to put a memorial up there, saying that my cousin's laying in there and leave it be and have my nieces go there for the rest of their lives to pay their respects to their mom?”
Melissa took action and led her community in protests that swept the nation and forced her government's hand to have the landfill site searched.
But it was when Jeremy Skibicki was given four life sentences in 2024 for the murders of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose, that Melissa decided she needed to do more.
“That was the longest six weeks of my life. Oh my goodness, the things we had to sit there and hear. So many things that could have prevented it, like her being thrown out of the shelter.”
When the verdict was announced, Melissa swore she would do all she could to stop this happening again.
“Everybody matters… No one is going to look after our people the way we look after them.”
She formed a group called Morgan's Warriors, a female-led outreach group to protect indigenous women.
“They don't know where to go. They don't know who to turn to or who to trust. So that's why we're out there. We're going into these places, where for the most part a lot of people won't go.”
Melissa has endured a significant amount of hardship in her life, including the death of her son, was recently made a Pipe Carrier by indigenous elders - a position honouring wisdom and ongoing spiritual leadership.
🎧 Hear Melissa tell her story on Outlook: https://bbc.in/3U5e2ly
