Where Is Lisa Marie Young?

"Lisa Marie Young was loved and cherished by many. She had a brilliant future. The heartache and frustration that continues to plague her family and friends is real. At the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, we heard so many stories of lost loved ones. Many of the stories were similar to Lisa's, with common themes—inconsistent police investigations, reluctant witnesses, family-funded search efforts, lost evidence, to name of few. In response, our Calls for Justice mandated changes to all aspects of the justice system and more. While governments and others slowly accept our calls, the person who killed Lisa is still at large. Somebody knows something. Please speak up." —The Honourable Marion R. Buller, CM, former chief commissioner of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

"Norah and Carolann skillfully share this heartbreaking love letter to Lisa with the reader. They reveal how deeply she is missed, while weaving in the all-too-familiar template of a missing young Indigenous woman and an uncooperative suspect protected by class and community silence. An investigation too slow to look beyond victim stereotypes completes the impression that little has changed for missing Indigenous women and the men who target them." —Lorimer Shenher, author of That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away

"Before she disappeared from the face of the earth on June 30, 2002, Lisa Marie Young was full of vitality and spirit, promise and hope. Have you ever wondered about the carnage inflicted on Indigenous people? Then this is the book to read. An epic and haunting portrayal of a young Indigenous girl gone missing and murdered, this story is gut-wrenching and filled with anguish. Where is Lisa Marie Young? is a clear call to all Canadians to wake up to the horrors faced by Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people." —Chief Dr. Robert Joseph (KwinKwinXwaligedzi-Wakas), OC, OBC, a hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, former ambassador of Reconciliation Canada

"Solid research meets creative non-fiction in this book shedding light on the 2002 disappearance of Lisa Marie Young. Readers are invited into Lisa’s world, which shows her not just as a victim, but as a bright, motivated, careful, and caring young girl. Western psychosocial frameworks support important information about the prime suspect, and interviews with law enforcement show how stereotypes and systemic racism influenced investigative processes. Presenting first-person reflections about Lisa along with a play-by-play narrative of her case, the book braids Indigenous ways of knowing and community-led activism around MMIWG2S with police procedural to illustrate larger themes such as inherited trauma and societal indifference. In showing how her chosen sisters and loved ones continue to keep Lisa’s memory alive by joining with their community and local authorities, the book also pays particular attention to how the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women cope with their grief, providing recommendations on living with events that have no ending. In the end, this is a story of connection." —Suzanne Methot, educator and author of Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous Healing and Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing