Unidentified victim of alleged serial killer in Winnipeg to be called Buffalo Woman
The unidentified victim of an alleged Winnipeg serial killer will be called Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe or Buffalo Woman.
At a vigil on Sunday for the four Indigenous women believed to be killed at the hands of an alleged serial killer, MLA Bernadette Smith explained that a group called Medicine Bear consulted in ceremony with community members to come up with the name.
Smith said they don’t want someone to be referred to as “unidentified,” adding that this woman is somebody’s loved one, and is part of their community.
“For us, a life is sacred and we have to honour that,” she said.
“When you go into ceremony and you’re seeking a name, Buffalo Woman is often the name you’re given until they find your name. So we wanted to honour that.”
The Winnipeg Police Service released a statement on Monday, saying they will refer to the victim as Buffalo Woman – Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe as a sign of respect and at the request of community advocates, knowledge keepers and elders.
Police added that officers will be meeting with family leadership and representatives and won’t provide further comments until these meetings have taken place.
Last week, police announced four Indigenous women – Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran, Morgan Beatrice Harris, and Buffalo Woman – were killed by an alleged serial killer.
The women are believed to have been killed between March and May of 2022.
Jeremy Anthony Michael Skibicki is facing four charges of first-degree murder. His lawyer said his client maintains his innocence.
None of the charges against Skibicki have been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New one-and-done therapy can help curb severe COVID-19 infection: Canadian-led study
A Canadian-led study of a new potential antiviral therapy shows a single dose can help cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Are video games good for kids' brains or bad for them? New research suggests the answer is 'neither'
A small new study has found that neither the frequency of daily gaming reported by pre-teen children nor the specific video game genres they chose to play were linked with their performance on a standardized cognitive tests.
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkey on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
'It was a nightmare': 2 children dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare
Two four-year-old children are dead and a man has been charged with first-degree murder after a driver crashed a city bus into a daycare in Laval, Que. Wednesday morning. The driver, 51-year-old Pierre Ny St-Amand, was arrested at the scene and faces two counts of first-degree murder and several other charges.
Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft.
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Indigo payment systems, online store down after 'cybersecurity incident'
Indigo's payment systems and online store are down after a 'cybersecurity incident,' the company announced on Wednesday evening.
Netflix Canada begins password sharing crackdown
Netflix Canada is rolling out its long-anticipated plans to crack down on password sharing, saying it will begin notifying Canadian users today by email about limitations.
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.