Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
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- Create Date：2021-06-29 10:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jessica McDiarmid
- ISBN：0385687591
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Summary
A searing and revelatory account of the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls of Highway 16， and an indictment of the society that failed them。
For decades， Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been found murdered along an isolated stretch of highway in northwestern British Columbia。 The highway is known as the Highway of Tears， and it has come to symbolize a national crisis。
Journalist Jessica McDiarmid investigates the devastating effect these tragedies have had on the families of the victims and their communities， and how systemic racism and indifference have created a climate where Indigenous women and girls are over-policed， yet under-protected。 Through interviews with those closest to the victims--mothers and fathers， siblings and friends--McDiarmid offers an intimate， first-hand account of their loss and relentless fight for justice。 Examining the historically fraught social and cultural tensions between settlers and Indigenous peoples in the region， McDiarmid links these cases to others across Canada--now estimated to number up to 4，000--contextualizing them within a broader examination of the undervaluing of Indigenous lives in this country。
Highway of Tears is a powerful story about our ongoing failure to provide justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls， and a testament to their families and communities' unwavering determination to find it。
For decades， Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been found murdered along an isolated stretch of highway in northwestern British Columbia。 The highway is known as the Highway of Tears， and it has come to symbolize a national crisis。
Journalist Jessica McDiarmid investigates the devastating effect these tragedies have had on the families of the victims and their communities， and how systemic racism and indifference have created a climate where Indigenous women and girls are over-policed， yet under-protected。 Through interviews with those closest to the victims--mothers and fathers， siblings and friends--McDiarmid offers an intimate， first-hand account of their loss and relentless fight for justice。 Examining the historically fraught social and cultural tensions between settlers and Indigenous peoples in the region， McDiarmid links these cases to others across Canada--now estimated to number up to 4，000--contextualizing them within a broader examination of the undervaluing of Indigenous lives in this country。
Highway of Tears is a powerful story about our ongoing failure to provide justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls， and a testament to their families and communities' unwavering determination to find it。
Reviews
Tracy Beverley
，
It's a hard book to read， especially now after the graves were recently discovered at residential school but we must acknowledge the past and what is wrong to make changes。 The book was well researched my only issue with it is how she jumps around a lot with the timeline。 The events should be on chronology order but they are not。 Some of the cases were not introduced properly。 I'm glad I read it and would recommend it but it could have been written and edited better。 It's a hard book to read， especially now after the graves were recently discovered at residential school but we must acknowledge the past and what is wrong to make changes。 The book was well researched my only issue with it is how she jumps around a lot with the timeline。 The events should be on chronology order but they are not。 Some of the cases were not introduced properly。 I'm glad I read it and would recommend it but it could have been written and edited better。 。。。more
Lavinia Thompson
，
I finished this book in a puddle of feelings and tears。 I knew even before taking it off the store shelf it would be packed with sorrow， anger and devastation， and I was not disappointed。 Jessica McDiarmid approaches the sensitive and tragic topic with a journalistic and respective balance to both sides of the story。 Highway 16， also known as the “Highway of Tears” is a stretch of highway through British Columbia， Canada， where hundreds， maybe thousands， of women have gone missing over the years I finished this book in a puddle of feelings and tears。 I knew even before taking it off the store shelf it would be packed with sorrow， anger and devastation， and I was not disappointed。 Jessica McDiarmid approaches the sensitive and tragic topic with a journalistic and respective balance to both sides of the story。 Highway 16， also known as the “Highway of Tears” is a stretch of highway through British Columbia， Canada， where hundreds， maybe thousands， of women have gone missing over the years。 All but one were Indigenous。 McDiarmid takes us through the heart-wrenching searches for loved ones， the stories of the women and girls behind the mystery， and busting the myth that they were all sex workers or addicts – it simply isn’t true。 The author also takes on the systematic racism both in the RCMP and Canadian culture in general which led to many of these cases being ignored or not thoroughly investigated。 I grew up in Quesnel， BC， not far at all from where all of the disappearances and murders happened。 Some of the victims even went missing from Quesnel。 I recognized one of the last names as someone who used to be our neighbour。 This hit really close to home。 Just to drive a point home about how much radio silence there was regarding these cases， I never really heard much about them。 Not until I was an adult living in Alberta and it was hitting the news because of the symposium and then the national inquiry。 And yet it’s true – when a white person or child goes missing， there is an abundance of press coverage and efforts to locate them。 Think Caley Anthony or Lacey Peterson， or the example the author used， Melanie Carpenter。 In 2021， we’re still inundated with examples of systematic racism。 Most recently， the have been over 1000 bodies found on previous residential school sites， the last of which only closed in 1996。 This book tells things from the viewpoint of the Indigenous people living this reality。 From the social systems， or lack thereof， that keep them in poverty， to criminal investigations that fail them time after time because the girls or women who vanish are “runaways” or something。 We aren’t merely inundated with examples – we are overwhelmed with a truth the Indigenous people have long known and tried to speak up about， only to meet a brick wall of ignorance from those who should care。 A quick Google search informs me that the Canadian federal government and Rogers are supposedly installed twelve new cell towers along Highway 16， something that has been a recommendation since the symposium。 This was reported by CBC in April。 （Link at bottom of post）。 It’s an improvement which is long overdue， with many， many steps still necessary for reconciliation and justice。 In many of these missing persons cases， justice might be impossible。 It’s been many years since some of these women and girls simply vanished， some whose bodies were never found。 Much like the residential schools， they were children， sisters， mothers and aunts who never came home。 They are still remembered， loved and mourned。 Many of the living family members and friends are getting older and some are already deceased。 These stories will fade in time if no one else speaks up for them。 Thankfully， Jessica McDiarmid has written a riveting and truthful account of this mystery， helping to keep the stories alive。 We owe these women and girls that， and much more。 。。。more
Chloe
，
I love how this book focuses on the families of the victims and their quest for justice。 It highlights a communities efforts to not let the victims be lost to time， as well as illustrating that communities KNOW what THEY need to solve their problems， but generations of trauma and lack of interest from the government in providing basic resources for first Nations and indigenous people has prevented what most would call common sense solutions from being implemented。 The recent confirmation of chil I love how this book focuses on the families of the victims and their quest for justice。 It highlights a communities efforts to not let the victims be lost to time， as well as illustrating that communities KNOW what THEY need to solve their problems， but generations of trauma and lack of interest from the government in providing basic resources for first Nations and indigenous people has prevented what most would call common sense solutions from being implemented。 The recent confirmation of children's bones at residential schools in Canada and the US only drill this fact in further。 First Nations， Inuit， and Metis have known of these facts it is only us that are choosing to discover it now。 This book is very hard to read because of the subject matter， but I would recommend it。 It will soften and harden your heart simultaneously。Definitely a difficult but necessary read。 I have seen a lot of people say that this book is disjointed。 I disagree。 It was challenging to be introduced to a new victim of violence every chapter， but I think that it hammers in just how overwhelmingly undeniable the reality is。 Any holes in narrative are not due to a lack of vision by the writer， but instead are a reflection of how the RCMP has handled the flow of cases over the decades。 。。。more
Donna
，
This is a devastating and disgusting tragedy， which sadly continues today。 Government and police forces in this country must take immediate action when women， especially from Indigenous peoples are reported missing， taking the disappearance seriously and use every available resource to attempt to locate the persons。 If found murdered， leave no stone unturned to find the killer and seek justice！
Kevin
，
Review in Progress。Things I learned from this book:'Those that take us away。" - the Carrier （Athabaskan） translation for the Police。Further reading:https://www。hrw。org/report/2013/02/13。。。（Overdrive Audiobook with supplementary Maps and Photographs in PDF。） Review in Progress。Things I learned from this book:'Those that take us away。" - the Carrier （Athabaskan） translation for the Police。Further reading:https://www。hrw。org/report/2013/02/13。。。（Overdrive Audiobook with supplementary Maps and Photographs in PDF。） 。。。more
Rick Book
，
The truth is often very hard to read。 This book is a searing record of Canada's racism， cruelty and apathy toward Indigenous people， in this case， the women and girls who went missing and were murdered along BC's Highway 16 which runs between Prince Rupert and Prince George。 In painstaking detail， Jessica McDiarmid forces us to consider the scope of the crimes which extend beyond the victims themselves to include the sisters and brothers， mothers and fathers， friends， the entire communities。 It' The truth is often very hard to read。 This book is a searing record of Canada's racism， cruelty and apathy toward Indigenous people， in this case， the women and girls who went missing and were murdered along BC's Highway 16 which runs between Prince Rupert and Prince George。 In painstaking detail， Jessica McDiarmid forces us to consider the scope of the crimes which extend beyond the victims themselves to include the sisters and brothers， mothers and fathers， friends， the entire communities。 It's enraging to read about the apathy and neglect of the local RCMP in many of these cases。 Its impact is similar to that of Tanya Talaga's equally disturbing book， Seven Fallen Feathers。 How do we as a country， as citizens， rise above our despair and act when our own police and federal government choose not to act？ I don't know， but voting those responsible out of office would be a start。 。。。more
Mimi
，
This book is a must read for everyone。 So disturbing and profoundly sad。
Anne-Marie
，
Highway of Tears is a comprehensive and personal account of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls （MMIWG） of Canada， particularly along Highway 16 in Northern British Columbia。 I want to be clear that McDiarmid is not Indigenous; she is white。 According to the Introduction by Mary Teegee， McDiarmid approached the Carrier Sekani Family Services organization （who have worked closely with the families impacted by the Highway of Tears） to document the history of the Highway of Tears an Highway of Tears is a comprehensive and personal account of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls （MMIWG） of Canada， particularly along Highway 16 in Northern British Columbia。 I want to be clear that McDiarmid is not Indigenous; she is white。 According to the Introduction by Mary Teegee， McDiarmid approached the Carrier Sekani Family Services organization （who have worked closely with the families impacted by the Highway of Tears） to document the history of the Highway of Tears and "len[d] her voice in the fight for justice for those we can no longer hear。"This book so deftly blends first-hand accounts of the victims' stories and the impact on their families and communities in combination with a broader examination of the systemic issues facing Indigenous girls and women in Canada （from poverty and intergenerational trauma due to residential schools and colonization， lack of social and public services， indifference and outright hostility from settler/colonizer communities， and the utter failures of the RCMP （and police forces） to help these families and bring justice to these women and girls。 The structure of the book introduces us to the remote beauty and rough realities of northern BC， and takes us chronologically through the prominent cases of the Highway of Tears starting from the （primarily） 1990s and 2000s。 Within chapters focusing on specific missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls， and in separate dedicated chapters， McDiarmid builds the context for why this happens at all。 How Canada is a colonial state and the realities of settling northern BC （the racial tensions that so many white people claim don't exist in the process of investigation）， and how the Canadian government， and by extension， the RCMP， systematically destroys Indigenous communities， cultures， languages， and social systems。 I particularly appreciated the sections on the RCMP as I didn't fully understand the culture of RCMP and why it operates the way it does （essentially as a military organization in often municipal roles）。 I knew the RCMP first existed to "settle" Canada and displace Indigenous communities， but I didn't fully understand all the nuances。 In the second half of the book， as we progress into the 2010s， McDiarmid documents the efforts to raise awareness and prompt action by the victims' families， the Native Women's Association of Canada， the Carrier Sekani Family Services organization， the Highway of Tears Symposium， and the Commission's National Inquiry in the MMIWG。 So many of the families walked kilometres upon kilometres， told their stories again and again （exacting an incredibly emotional toll on their health）， and tried in vain to get a country that simply doesn't care to listen。 And we should care。 I think everyone should read this book。 And then go read the National Inquiry in MMIWG's Final Report and the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission （my next steps after this review）。 I also encourage people （and myself） to read books on this subject by Indigenous authors and support and uplift Indigenous art， and culture， and stories， and people。 We need to do better。Sidenote: Some reviews have noted they felt the structure disorganized but I liked how it flowed together and built off ideas throughout the text。 McDiarmid does a decent job of refreshing our memory of particular cases and families and the inclusion of photos helps familiarize us with and further humanize the people discussed。 。。。more
Rania
，
Very informative look at the absolute tragic genocide that is currently going on in Canada。 From why these disappearances keep happening， to police incompetence we are given the history of MMIW
Siria
，
This is a heartbreaking， difficult-to-read account of just some of the more than a thousand Indigenous women and girls who've gone missing or who have been found murdered along the so-called "Highway of Tears" in western Canada。 Jessica McDiarmid does a good job of showing how the continual failure by the RCMP and the Canadian government to take these losses seriously is just one manifestation of a deeply ingrained racism against First Nations People in Canada。 （For another， see all the horrific This is a heartbreaking， difficult-to-read account of just some of the more than a thousand Indigenous women and girls who've gone missing or who have been found murdered along the so-called "Highway of Tears" in western Canada。 Jessica McDiarmid does a good job of showing how the continual failure by the RCMP and the Canadian government to take these losses seriously is just one manifestation of a deeply ingrained racism against First Nations People in Canada。 （For another， see all the horrific stories currently in the news about the excavation of literally hundreds of graves of Indigenous children in residential schools） Sometimes the transitions between the different parts of the narrative—from accounts of individual cases to contextualising the history of residential schools to interviewing former RCMP officers—are a little choppy。 Still a very worthwhile if harrowing read。 。。。more
Jessica Fleming
，
The topic of this book is heartbreaking to say the least。 So many girls， varying in ages， just disappearing over years along the Highway of Tears。 As I read the book it felt like the author was overcome with so much information that she wanted to share she somehow got lost。 Things felt disorganized at times。 Despite that the book was informative yet heartbreaking。
Megan Timmers
，
4。5 stars！ Very well researched。 Such a sad and devastating topic that I encourage everyone to read about。 My only complaint was how the book was organized。
Alyssa - Nerdy Nurse Reads
，
This will make you cry， make you angry， and make you shout WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE？！？！
Yesenia
，
Wow。 This book was so eye-opening and for that， I will give it the 5 stars。 That being said， it was depressing to listen to - primarily because of the way the deaths were mishandled and the way that Canada has done a great job at not discussing the killings that have happened。 It is disgusting that Canada promised these families so much and did practically nothing for years / still have a ways to go。 I listened to the audiobook and think I would have benefitted from the physical copy more than t Wow。 This book was so eye-opening and for that， I will give it the 5 stars。 That being said， it was depressing to listen to - primarily because of the way the deaths were mishandled and the way that Canada has done a great job at not discussing the killings that have happened。 It is disgusting that Canada promised these families so much and did practically nothing for years / still have a ways to go。 I listened to the audiobook and think I would have benefitted from the physical copy more than the audio version。 Not because the narrator was terrible （she wasn't！）， but because there were moments when I got a little confused as to who was being talked about。 。。。more
CJ Anne
，
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it，” she read out。 “He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it。”Simply put， this book and others like it， need to be made required reading in our schools。 Every Canadian has a responsibility to make themselves aware of the history and ongoing devastation that is the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls genocide。 It’s importance cannot be overstated。Along with the “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it，” she read out。 “He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it。”Simply put， this book and others like it， need to be made required reading in our schools。 Every Canadian has a responsibility to make themselves aware of the history and ongoing devastation that is the missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls genocide。 It’s importance cannot be overstated。Along with the devastating statistics， there are families and entire communities that continue to reel from the loses outlined in these pages and beyond。 Grief radiates out and trickles down from one generation to the next。 These families need support and more than just promises from the Canadian government， the general public and the media that changes will be made。 The time for making incremental changes， and rewarding ourselves for it should be over。 We need to do better， and demand better。To my fellow readers， if you pick up one non-fiction book this year， I hope it is this one。 It’s pages are filled grief and loss but also with hope and an overwhelming amount of love。Above all， these stories deserve to be heard。 。。。more
Sophie Thornton
，
Heartwrenching， and so close to home。 Every Canadian should read this。
Shari Suarez
，
Indigenous women and girls have been going missing for years。 This book takes on the Highway of Tears in western Canada。 Women have been going missing since the 1970's in this part of Canada。 In most cases， the police haven't been much help。 This book takes a look at the cases， talks to relatives and investigators and exposes what was done （or not done） to help find the perpetrators。 This book was so compelling and the subject matter so disturbing to me。 I believe Canadian law enforcement and th Indigenous women and girls have been going missing for years。 This book takes on the Highway of Tears in western Canada。 Women have been going missing since the 1970's in this part of Canada。 In most cases， the police haven't been much help。 This book takes a look at the cases， talks to relatives and investigators and exposes what was done （or not done） to help find the perpetrators。 This book was so compelling and the subject matter so disturbing to me。 I believe Canadian law enforcement and the government have a lot to answer for。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
A very hard read。 May be triggering for some who have lost a loved one to violence or who has gone missing。 This book makes it easy for the reader to understand the anger and disappointment that most First Nations People feel with regards to the lack of action for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls。 A must read read to truly understand the racism that is still being bestowed upon Indigenous people by Canadians and the Government。 The story of each of these women and girls is heartbr A very hard read。 May be triggering for some who have lost a loved one to violence or who has gone missing。 This book makes it easy for the reader to understand the anger and disappointment that most First Nations People feel with regards to the lack of action for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls。 A must read read to truly understand the racism that is still being bestowed upon Indigenous people by Canadians and the Government。 The story of each of these women and girls is heartbreaking， and most families are still searching and hoping to find their loved ones alive。 Unfortunately this book could have used a bit more editing， as sometimes the storylines were confusing and overlapping， leaving me wondering which victim or family the author was talking about。 But still and absolute must read to truly know the history of our country。 。。。more
Nancy Millwood
，
A must read to better understand the depth of pain endured by our indigenous population。
Gabrielle Robert
，
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it。” I knew about the missing and murdered indigenous women prior to reading this book。 However， after watching a short documentary on this topic， I knew that I clearly didn’t know enough and that I needed to educate myself further on this national issue。 This book was very sad， frustrating and eye opening。 The author explores the stories of multiple indigenous girls that go missing along Highway 16 in BC。 The “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it。” I knew about the missing and murdered indigenous women prior to reading this book。 However， after watching a short documentary on this topic， I knew that I clearly didn’t know enough and that I needed to educate myself further on this national issue。 This book was very sad， frustrating and eye opening。 The author explores the stories of multiple indigenous girls that go missing along Highway 16 in BC。 The author does a great job at recounting the stories of these girls and at the same time interweaving statistics and pieces of information regarding the political/social climate of the time。 This was a hard read simply for the fact that you are faced with the reality of the generational harm that was caused my our European ancestors。 I would highly recommend this book as I believe that we have a responsibility to educate ourselves and not to turn a blind eye to this serious systemic problem。 。。。more
Dasha
，
An excellent investigation of the tragic cases on Canada's Highway of Tears。 McDiarmid engages with political， historical， cultural， and gender factors that are involved and Canada's government's failure to properly investigate cases and put an end to the issue。 I particularly appreciated McDiarmid taking time to explain a missing girl case that occurred around the same time， however， saw much greater attention and money invested into investigating it as she was a white， middle-class woman。 A ve An excellent investigation of the tragic cases on Canada's Highway of Tears。 McDiarmid engages with political， historical， cultural， and gender factors that are involved and Canada's government's failure to properly investigate cases and put an end to the issue。 I particularly appreciated McDiarmid taking time to explain a missing girl case that occurred around the same time， however， saw much greater attention and money invested into investigating it as she was a white， middle-class woman。 A very important comparison。 。。。more
Chelsea Turner
，
A devastating read， but an important one I can’t believe being a BC resident I was so ignorant to what has been happening in our own province。 Thank you for this read。
Tania MacInnis
，
This book really opened eyes。 It made me sad and angry。 It left a lasting impression
Winter
，
I really appreciate the author， Jessica McDiarmid for writing this book， as to bring awareness to this sad state of affairs towards the indigenous women， and all of the families who have lost a loved one on Highway 16。It is truly heart-wrenching to know about the injustice that has happened towards the indigenous peoples over the span of history， and it is extremely disappointing that our governments have ignored， and allowed this to happen to the women， and all indigenous peoples。Canada should I really appreciate the author， Jessica McDiarmid for writing this book， as to bring awareness to this sad state of affairs towards the indigenous women， and all of the families who have lost a loved one on Highway 16。It is truly heart-wrenching to know about the injustice that has happened towards the indigenous peoples over the span of history， and it is extremely disappointing that our governments have ignored， and allowed this to happen to the women， and all indigenous peoples。Canada should be better than this， and it is appalling that our country， as great as it is， has fell so short， when it comes to these over-looked， and hurting people。How disgraceful！May the indigenous peoples gain the justice， and recognition that they truly deserve。 。。。more
Jennie MC
，
This was a fantastic book。 I'm so glad I read this， although this book was heartbreaking。 ❤️ This was a fantastic book。 I'm so glad I read this， although this book was heartbreaking。 ❤️ 。。。more
Cindy
，
This book brings attention to an issue that has received far to little attention and raises a call for further action。 It is very well researched， and you do get a sense of who the young women were and the context of their lives。 Overall I am very glad I read it and feel that it gives voices to people that are more often seen as statistics and a platform for issues that most people would prefer to avoid。The narrative was a bit confusing though。 It seemed want to stick a chronological style， Brea This book brings attention to an issue that has received far to little attention and raises a call for further action。 It is very well researched， and you do get a sense of who the young women were and the context of their lives。 Overall I am very glad I read it and feel that it gives voices to people that are more often seen as statistics and a platform for issues that most people would prefer to avoid。The narrative was a bit confusing though。 It seemed want to stick a chronological style， Breaking away to tell the stories of each individual girl in rough order of their disappearance。In reality though the story of the investigation and the factors （institutional， economic， etc。） that underlie the disappearances and lack of official response seemed to jump all over the place。。While largely chronological quite often information was dropped in from other time frames without explanation。 This part of the book would have greatly benefited from a timeline appendix of some sort。It was the stories of the girls however that became really confusing and in a way disappointing。 Especially difficult because several of the girls were related and shared extended family and friends。 Often you weren’t sure who was speaking or which of the girls they were related to。 There would be a quote from someone who had been mentioned in one of the other girls stories without providing context so you wouldn’t be certain why Sally， for instance， was talking about this particular girl because they hadn’t been mentioned in several chapters and their immediate connection to the victim was not often explained until several chapters later。I felt that if this was organized a bit better we would’ve gotten much more of a sense of who the girls were and been better able to truly get to know them。 Another appendix listing all the girls containing a list of who was involved in their lives （extended family， friends and the like）， when they went missing and the status of their case at the date of publication， would also have been helpful。 。。。more
Kristen
，
4。5 stars。 Really good read
Tracy Greer- Hansen
，
I think this should be required reading for all high school students。 Growing up in a heavily populated Native city， I was very familiar with the racism and poverty associated with this demographic， also working at 911 quickly opened my eyes to the systematic abuse these people endure。 This book highlights how poverty allows vulnerability。 This book focuses on the missing women in Hwy 16 in British Columbia known as the Highway of Tears， from Prince George to Prince Rupert。 This is a shameful ch I think this should be required reading for all high school students。 Growing up in a heavily populated Native city， I was very familiar with the racism and poverty associated with this demographic， also working at 911 quickly opened my eyes to the systematic abuse these people endure。 This book highlights how poverty allows vulnerability。 This book focuses on the missing women in Hwy 16 in British Columbia known as the Highway of Tears， from Prince George to Prince Rupert。 This is a shameful chapter in Canadian history， missing women with virtually no help and no means。 Heartbreaking and deeply moving。 I will not forget these women。 I watched some YouTube videos on this stretch of highway as I was reading， which made the book that much more real。 Highly highly recommend。 。。。more
Diana
，
This is a really well researched book。 I appreciate all the loved ones who contributed their stories。
Lubna
，