Honouring the life and legacy of Cathy Merrick

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/01/2025 (254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cheers and whistles erupted throughout the packed tent on July 24 when Grand Chief Cathy Merrick learned she had been re-elected to the position after only one round of voting during the 36th annual general assembly of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Even though I have worked for nearly 20 years as a journalist in Brandon, it was the first time I had ever covered the election of a grand chief.

The event, held on the Waywayseecappo First Nation lands just north of Brandon, was a watershed moment of sorts for the AMC. Merrick had already earned accolades as the organization’s first female grand chief, and she had earned the trust of a majority of those in attendance to continue in those duties.

“I worked really hard to be where I am as the grand chief,” she told me during a rare moment alone outside the tent, while she took a cigarette break. “I had a year and nine months to be able to show the chiefs the work that I can do. Moving forward, I will work just as hard for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.”

I did not know her well at all, but in my short conversation with her it was clear that Grand Chief Merrick was affable, vibrant, pleasant and determined. That time with her became one of those conversations you recall months, perhaps years later.

Ordinarily, I would not have been there. The Sun had found itself without an Indigenous beat reporter earlier in the year, and while the search continued for a replacement, I decided to take on some of that work. And so I found myself covering the general assembly, waiting for delayed vote count results to roll in as Sun photographer Tim Smith worked with his usual excellence, covering what action he could.

This included the look on Merrick’s face when she learned she had been victorious, and her long walk around the tent, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness while she hugged her supporters.

A thunderstorm had been brewing throughout that afternoon, and during the vote count the wind was strong and the rain came down hard for a time. Smith thought to move on from the event to follow a bit of the storm, and so I found myself on my own in the tent, little realizing that the swearing-in ceremony would follow our interview shortly thereafter.

Thankfully, I carry a camera when I go out, just in case. I ended up standing on a chair just outside a circle of her supporters for a clear shot as Merrick took her oath of office. And by chance, among the photos I took, I captured an image of her laughing at a joke made during the ceremony. The photo was a little fuzzier than I wanted as the lighting wasn’t fantastic in that tent, but I decided to include it in my coverage anyway, as the expression on her face was rather striking.

Little did I know at the time that my interview with Grand Chief Merrick that day would be my one and only chance to speak with her. On Sept. 6, less than two months later, she died after collapsing outside of the Manitoba law courts building in Winnipeg while speaking with media. She was 63.

My file photos of her were used by the Winnipeg Free Press and The Sun in the days that followed, including the one of her laughing.

About a week after news of her death made national headlines, I received a call from an editor at The New York Times who had come across the photo I took of Grand Chief Merrick laughing online, and asked to use it for a piece being written about her life by a pair of Canadian writers. I agreed, giving them permission to use the image.

I’m glad that I was able to help honour such an interesting and spirited individual. As a result, I’ve included this photo of the late grand chief as part of my favourite images of 2024.

» mgoerzen@brandonsun.com

» Bluesky: @mattgoerzen.bsky.social