Family calls for justice after First Nations mother injured in South Osborne hit-and-run

The family of a young woman from Buffalo Point First Nation is calling for justice after the mother of two was hit by a van and left on a Winnipeg road.

At least 20 people gathered outside Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre Saturday afternoon, drumming and chanting to demand justice for 25-year-old Margaret Justine Cobiness Jr., Macey or MJ to her family and friends. 

Ernest Cobiness Sr., MJ's father, said his daughter was walking just south of Osborne Village on Friday night when two men driving a white van began following her. 

MJ told her father the vehicle pulled up to her, then drove toward her and knocked her to the ground before running her over and driving away. 

"She's my youngest one. She's always been my little girl," Ernest Cobiness said. "She was underneath the car and she thought she was gonna die." 

The family believes MJ was the victim of an attempted kidnapping.

A spokesperson for Winnipeg Police said a 25-year-old pedestrian was taken to hospital after officers were called to the 400 block of Mulvey Avenue East, just south of Osborne Station, at around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday for reports of a collision. 

On Sunday afternoon police told CBC there is no indication this was an attempted abduction, but the investigation is ongoing.

Ernest Cobiness Sr. said his daughter was in critical condition, and the family was expecting her to undergo surgery on Saturday evening after the hit and run left her with several broken bones, including in her pelvis, shoulder and ribs. 

"It's hard to see my little girl laying there like that in pain and crying," he said. "[But] she wanted to make sure that her voice was heard … her story was heard."

"The worst thing we can do is be silent about stuff like this," he said, arguing that not speaking up is staying complacent with crimes against Indigenous women.

Members of Morgan's Warriors were among those gathered outside the Health Sciences Centre on Saturday afternoon. The outreach group, named for Morgan Harris and led by members of her family and community, supports women and works to ensure they're not preyed upon. 

A report from Statistics Canada shows Indigenous women and girls experienced violence rates higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Between 2009 and 2021, 490 of Canada's homicide victims were Indigenous women and girls.

MJ's hit-and-run comes weeks after one of her friends was fatally run over in a similar incident, Ernest Cobiness Sr. said.

"She thought she was going to be the next one," he said. 

MJ said it's empowering to have supporters speak up for her, according to a social media statement shared Sunday morning. 

"Each second felt like an eternity, and I was intensely aware of the pain, the cracks, breaks, and snaps in my bones, but I chose to transcend," MJ said.

"The weight of the vehicle was crushing, but my spirit remained unshaken, and the hate and ignorance displayed by those males fuelled my determination to triumph. When I cried out for help, I was met with silence, but I discovered my inner voice and it propelled me forward."

'I wish that was me'

MJ has been living in Winnipeg, but she and her family are from Buffalo Point First Nation, a community beside the Manitoba-U.S. border about 170 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. 

The mother of two was described by her family as a staunch supporter of women's rights.

"I never thought my little sister or anybody in my family would get hurt like that," said Kari Cobiness, MJ's older sister, adding she believed the incident was an attempting kidnapping.

"Maybe she was gonna be the next Indigenous girl in the landfill," she said. 

Jerry Daniels, grand chief of the Southern Chiefs' Organization — which represents 32 First Nations in southern Manitoba — said there have been multiple reports over social media of young First Nations women being chased and targeted by men in Winnipeg.

While addressing MJ's case on a Facebook post, SCO said it is "clear there are ongoing threats against our citizens," while adding urgent action is needed to address MMIWG2S cases, which has been referred to by the organization as a national emergency.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs referred to Saturday's events on social media as a "horrifying attack," while demanding "real steps" in addressing the violence faced by First Nation women, girls and two-spirit people. 

"Enough is enough. Our women deserve to be safe," the social media post said.

The family received an incident number from Winnipeg police, who told CBC that they continue to investigate the crash. 

But Ernest Cobiness Sr. said his daughter has little faith the police system will bring justice to her case. 

"Our people have always been and felt that way, that our women and our people don't mean anything to the justice system or court system … I think that's why a lot of people think they can get away with [what] they're doing," he said. 

For him, it is important to see his community and supporters, including other men, show up, spread awareness and stand together for justice for women. 

"I'm thankful that she's alive and she's capable of going to be with us … some other families are not that fortunate and I could never understand how they felt," he said. 

MJ's mother Margaret Cobiness Sr., who was also at Saturday's rally, said cases like her daughter's happen all too often in Winnipeg. And while MJ survived, she said there was a chance she could have never come back home after Saturday.

"I am so sick and tired of the treatment we get here as Indigenous people because it has been going on for so long, too long," she said through tears. "They expect us to walk away from this, I would never walk away from this."

"I hope this never happens to anybody, not my kids, not anybody … I wish that was me in there," Margaret Cobiness said.