I am so incredibly saddened at the sudden passing of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. I admired Grand Chief Merrick and her commitment to service and to community. Her dedication to people, above all else, made her a strong, proud voice in this province that advocated for those in her community.
The RCMP has worked very closely with Grand Chief Merrick on extremely important issues. She was a strong champion when it came to the creation of the Joint Action Circle, an Indigenous-led, survivor-centric group to help the RCMP prioritize areas of concern to the Indigenous community and develop more detailed strategies, especially as it relates to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Grand Chief Merrick also worked with the RCMP on our Reconciliation journey. She really taught me the meaning of nothing about us without us, and she was always willing to share her perspective, her wisdom, and her experience.
On a more personal note, I worked closely together with the Grand Chief when I was in the North District and Grand Chief Merrick was the Chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation. She was a dedicated community-first voice for her First Nation and provided me with great insight into issues and concerns in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and other northern First Nation communities. Her openness to discuss issues and collaborate on solutions was very much appreciated. I was not surprised that Chief Merrick was elected as Grand Chief and became the first woman to lead the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
The thoughts of all Manitoba RCMP employees are with Grand Chief Merrick's family and those close to her as they mourn the loss of a strong, kind visionary who saw a path forward for her people and fought for it.
Grand Chief Merrick will be greatly missed. Her legacy lives on in all the lives she touched and the change she made happen.