Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous, by Jessica McDiarmid

10 reviews

stephhborges's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Grief, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, and Addiction

tcsellman's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Genocide, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Addiction

whatannikareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.75

such an important book that humanizes these victims rather than letting them fall victim to forgotten history. i was tearing up at some points because my heart hurt at how these indigenous GIRLS--yes mostly teenage girls--were treated before and after their murders/disappearances. how shameful that this continues to be something that these families are fighting to get recognized, and that indigenous women are still going missing at higher rates than average. mcdiarmid reports both sides of the story, from the families as well as law enforcement. as a journalist, she sticks to her duty and highlights all aspects of the story (that can be tracked down). i only vaguely knew about this genocide beforehand, and so i'm glad i picked this up and am able to put names to faces--not just know their tragedies, but also their personalities and how much they meant to the people around them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Death, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

pipn_t's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Violence and Alcoholism

Minor: Sexual assault and Addiction

haylethal's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Violence, Classism, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Grief

merrrry's review against another edition

informative sad

4.0

Thoroughly researched, moving, nuanced, and horrifically organized. A beautifully written and highly informative book about a topic I cannot believe people aren't screaming about on the streets everyday. I also learned a lot of unexpected things unrelated to MMIW. From the existence of forensic entomology to the workings of the RCMP to the shortcomings of archiving in policing systems. Reading this made me realize how truly marginalized indigenous people are, and how apathetic I was towards the issues despite being somewhat aware of them. This book was a good reminder that these issues are real and harming people everyday. I definitely will be doing more reading and learning surrounding indigenous peoples in Canada. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Racism, Murder, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Death, Colonisation, and Bullying

marieprem08's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Such an important subject that need to be taken more seriously by the RCMP. I liked that the author wasn’t part of the story, since she isn’t indigenous. It was important that she pushed indigenous voices and emotions at the front line of this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide

empusa's review against another edition

informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Drug abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

annemaries_shelves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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 (Goodreads) 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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

xtine_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Death, and Sexual violence