Submitted by Gertrude Schreoder and Shirley Chaisson, Indigenous Student Advisors
Chanie Wenjack was born on January 19, 1954, in Ogoki Post, a remote Anishinaabe reserve in northwestern Ontario. In 1963, he and his sisters were sent to the Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School in Kenora, ON. Three years later, at the age of twelve, Chanie ran away from the school, attempting to go home to his family 600km away. He died of hunger and exposure on October 22, 1966, a week after he escaped. His body was found by a railway worker 60km from the school. His tragic story is like so many stories of Indigenous children who never returned home from residential schools.
Gord Downie was the front man and lyricist of The Tragically Hip until his death from brain cancer on October 17, 2017. Gord’s last solo project, Secret Path, tells Chanie Wenjack’s story.
Secret Path Week, October 17 to 22, commemorates the legacies of Gord and Chanie and aims to inspire Canadians to respond to Gord Downie’s call to “Do Something” to build a better Canada.
Secret Path Week is especially meaningful this year, as members of Chanie’s extended family will be attending the opening of our new Downie-Wenjack Legacy Spaces in Brockville and Cornwall on October 17 and 18, respectively. The openings will take place at 1 pm at each campus library, and all are welcome to attend.
From October 16 to 20, printed Downie hats will be available in the Indigenous Centres to record your personal reconciliACTION and will be posted as evidence of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
Do Something:
-Read about the history of Indigenous people in the country we now call Canada. Include stories of the residential school era.
-Watch videos about residential schools.
-Wear your orange shirt and talk about its message: Every Child Matters
-Research the Downie & Wenjack Fund and learn about the work being done. Donate to the Fund if you are able.
-Read the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Report.
-Make a personal action plan and get started.
-Have conversations with others about Truth and Reconciliation.
-Visit your campus Indigenous Centre and record your personal reconciliACTION on one of the pre-printed cut-out Downie hats.
-Faculty could take a few minutes in each of their classes to play the Secret Path video and discuss some reconciliACTION initiatives. They could collect a set of hats ahead of time and complete these as a class activity. Managers could conduct the same activity at meetings.