Friend, cousin reflect on life, death and legacy of Helen Betty Osborne, 50 years after her murder

On Nov. 12, 1971, a giggly Cree teenager from a northern Manitoba town wrapped up a full day of classes the same way she usually did — playfully teasing her friend and classmate, but too shy to talk to the teacher in front of her.

Hours later, in the cold dark of night, Helen Betty Osborne was targeted, abducted and murdered for sport. She was the victim of a now notorious hate crime that ultimately exposed what Indigenous communities had known all along — racism in the province was alive, thriving and deadly.

"For many years we wondered, is there a serial killer that can get away with what they did, with such a brutal killing to my friend?" said Rita McIvor, who was a friend and classmate of Osborne. "That took a lot of anger and a lot of hate on First Nations women."

The last time McIvor saw her childhood friend was that cold November day in The Pas, Man., 50 years ago.

The two were from different reserves: Osborne was from Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation (also known as Norway House), McIvor was from Tataskweyak Cree Nation, but they'd attended residential school together before reuniting as classmates again in the northern town.

WATCH | Rita McIvor remembers her friend, Helen Betty Osborne:

Osborne ("we called her Betty," McIvor said) was sitting in class, and, as was often the case, asked McIvor about her homework for the day.

"She had the sharpest pencils and she'd poke me and say, 'What did the teacher want us to do for an assignment?'" McIvor recalled. "Because she was too shy to ask the teacher. She liked to laugh, but she was shy."

McIvor accommodated her, though she teased her right back: "Why are you asking me? Because none of us ever do homework."

Still, McIvor says she admired her friend. Betty was "always taking care of herself — how she looked, how she dressed, how she took care of her work."

"Me, I'm the opposite, so that's the thing I remember the most."

Later that night, McIvor saw her friend again, walking outside. It  was dark and cold and McIvor was worried.

"I said, 'Come on, I'll take you home,'" McIvor said. "And she got away from me. That was the last time I seen her."

Come Monday morning, the rumours were swirling. A body had been found. A woman had been murdered.