Chanie Wenjack
| Chanie Wenjack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
January 9, 1954 Marten Falls First Nation, Ontario, Canada |
| Died |
October 23, 1966 (aged 12) Farlane, Ontario, Canada |
| Cause of death | Hunger |
| Nationality | Anishinaabe |
| Other names | Charlie |
| Known for | Escaping from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School |
Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack (January 19, 1954 - October 23, 1966) was an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nations boy who escaped from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School he attended in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. He died of hunger and exposure at Farlane, Ontario while trying to walk 600 km (370 mi) back to his home Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve. His death brought attention to treatment of children in the Canadian Indian Residential School System and following Wenjack's death an inquest into the matter was ordered by the Canadian Government.[1][2]
Early life, education and escape
C. Wenjak was born on the Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve. At the age of nine he was forced, along with his two sisters, to attend the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School school in Kenora. Once there he was given the name Charlie. The school was funded by the Canadian government and overseen by the Women’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church. At the time 150 students attended the school. Wenjak began his schooling at the age of nine and was put in remedial classes soon after. He was known to have a good sense of humour according to the principal at the time and was always the first to recognize a pun or riddle.[1][2]
On the morning of October 16, 1966, Wenjak and two school friends, orphaned brothers Ralph and Jackie MacDonald, ran away from the residential school, making it as far as Redditt, 31 km (19 mi) north of Kenora. Chanie only brought 7 matches. The three boys stayed with Ralph and Jackie's uncle, Charley Kelly, in Redditt. After four days with the Kellys Wenjak left to follow the Canadian National Railway (CN) mainline, heading towards Ogoki Post, 600 km (370 mi) east and north from Kenora. He had found a CN passenger timetable which included a map and was using it as guide to get back home. The Kellys gave him some food and matches and suggested that he ask for help from the section maintenance crews stationed along the line.[1][2]
Death
Wenjak had only a light windbreaker and walked for 36 hours in the wind as the temperature dropped to −6 °C (21 °F). He made his way another 20 km (12 mi) east along the CN mainline. Bruises indicated that he fell several times. He collapsed and died sometime on the morning of October 23 in a rock cut near Farlane.[1][2]
His body was discovered beside the track at 11:20 am on October 23 by Elwood McIvor, a CN railway engineer on freight train number No. 821. Elwood contacted the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) who recovered the body an hour later with help from a CN section crew. Coroner Dr. Glenn Davidson determined the cause of the death was attributed to exposure and hunger.[1][2]
On October 27, 1966, Chanie Wenjack was buried at the cemetery on the reserve beside the Albany River.[1][2]
Inquest and aftermath
On November 17 an inquest was begun and a report was commissioned and determined that:
"The Indian education system causes tremendous emotional & adjustment problems for these children."— Coroner's jury[3]
Ethical questions were raised and it brought to light the abuse and treatment of aboriginal children in the residential school system. A year after Wenjack's death an article written by journalist Ian Adams, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack," was published in February 1967 in Maclean's magazine. The article brought the ordeal to national attention.[2]
The Wenjack affair along with many other incidents would bring legislative reforms and class action lawsuits as well as the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Impact
Today the story of Chanie Wenjack has been seen as a symbol of resistance against the Residential School System. In 1972, Aboriginal students at Trent University lobbied for a building to be named after Wenjack. However, the theatre was named in Wenjack's honour.
Popular culture
On June 21, 2016, a Heritage Minute about Wenjack's death was released by Historica Canada to coincide with National Aboriginal Day. Unlike other Heritage Minutes that were narrated by actors, Wenjack's was narrated by his sister, Pearl.[4]
The Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie has written a concept album based on Wenjack's escape. The album, dubbed Secret Path, was released on October 18, 2016,[5][6] along with a concurrent graphic novel of Wenjack's story by novelist Jeff Lemire.
Released in October 2016, Canadian author Joseph Boyden wrote a novella called Wenjack.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chanie Wenjack". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Adams, Ian (February 1, 1967). "The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack". Maclean's. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ Truth and Reconciliation Commission, (Canada) (December 9, 2015). "Canada's Residential Schools: The History, Part 2, 1939 to 2000: The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume 1". McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 349. ISBN 978-0773546516. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ "New Heritage Minute explores dark history of Indian residential schools". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 21, 2016. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ Talaga, Tanya. "The flight of Chanie Wenjack, the boy who inspired Gord Downie’s new album". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Gord Downie to release solo album, graphic novel next month". CTV News. September 9, 2016. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016.
- ↑ "How Chanie Wenjack chose Joseph Boyden - Macleans.ca". October 21, 2016.