Highway of Tears by Jessica Mcdairmid

In recognition of National Indigenous History Month, the next four weeks will feature stories written by or about the Indigenous population of Canada. Published in 2020, Highway of Tears - A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was written by Canadian journalist, Jessica McDiarmid, who investigated the decades of murders and disappearances along Highway 16 in British Columbia that disproportionally affect Indigneous women living in northern BC. Through interviews with the victims' family and friends, McDiarmid not only shares their stories, but frames them within a broader context of the estimated 4000 missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada and the failure of Canada to provide justice for them. Highway of Tears was a finalist for the RBC Taylor Prize for Canadian non-fiction and a finalist for the Hubert Evans Prize for the best non-fiction book written by a British Columbian author. (Content Warning: Mature themes throughout the book).

What has your school or community done to recognize Indigenous history in Canada? What more could be done?