Highway Of Tears Research Paper

Highway Of Tears The Highway of Tears is a stretch of pavement that runs through central British Columbia. This road has been the scene many devastating moments in the 19-20th century. There have been many First Nation and Metis women murdered or gone missing along this highway. This essay will be explaining why this highway is so devastating to First Nations and Metis people. The Highway Of Tears is actually highway 16. This beautiful piece of road stretches from Prince George, B.C. all the way to Prince Rupert, B.C. and spans a whopping 720 Km/450 mi. The sad story begins in 1969, when a First Nation woman named Gloria Moody was murdered. On the highway of tears, 19 women found dead, but it is estimated that at least 40 Metis and First Nation women have died here. Of all the murders that have occurred along this highway, only 9 have been of non-First Nation descent. Women started disappearing in the late 1960’s. The latest disappearance was in 2011 and the last confirmed murder was in 2006. Between 1969 and 1981, six murdered women were identified but the RCMP state there is a good chance that more went unnoticed. It is believed that the reason so many First Nation and Metis women died along this stretch of highway is because there is a Reserve
between Prince Rupert and Prince George. Many First Nations live in poverty and can’t afford a vehicle, so hitchhiking becomes a form of transportation and unfortunately many fall victim to some dangerous people.

These deaths are a very real reminder to people of the dangers that exist in our world. There is also an economic effect. People that know about these deaths are fearful of traveling down this road which is the biggest highway in all of BC. Vacationers avoid this beautiful part of British Columbia because they are too scared to travel down there. It is most terrifying to the First Nations people who must feel vulnerable and targeted. Why would Canada’s first people want to stay in a place where their people are getting murdered and going missing every year? This horrible ordeal has left the First Nations people of BC feeling isolated, hated and unimportant.
There is a lack of trust for outsiders and people travelling road. Anyone wanting to leave the area face a struggle due to poverty - they can’t afford to go anywhere else. Many First Nations are scared to leave their home reserve. They have lost so many mothers, daughter, aunts, sisters, wives and friends. They all feel like less of a human when they can’t even get highway patrol officers. The first nations in the area asked the RCMP for further investigations to the murders but the RCMP wouldn’t. The government finally put a transport bus on the road to avoid people from
hitchhiking.

by:Brett Kleisininger