Chanie Wenjack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chanie Wenjack
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 19, 1954 Marten Falls First Nation, Ontario, Canada
|
| Died | October 23, 1966 (aged 12) Farlane, Ontario, Canada
|
| Cause of death | Hunger and exposure |
| Nationality | Anishinaabe (Marten Falls First Nation) |
| Other names | Charlie |
| Known for | Escaping from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School |
Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack (born January 19, 1954 – died October 23, 1966) was a young Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) boy from a First Nations community. He became known after he ran away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Chanie had lived at the school for three years.
He sadly died from hunger and being out in the cold weather near Farlane, Ontario. He was trying to walk 600 km (370 mi) back to his home, which was Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve. Chanie's difficult journey and death helped to bring attention to how children were treated in the Canadian Indian residential school system. After he died, the Government of Canada ordered an investigation into what happened.
Contents
Chanie Wenjack's Story
His Early Life and School
Chanie Wenjack was born on January 19, 1954, at Ogoki Post. This was a part of the Marten Falls Reserve. In 1963, when Chanie was nine years old, he and three of his sisters were sent to the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora.
About 150 students lived at this school. The Canadian government paid for the school, and the Women’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church managed it. Chanie spent his first two years in grade one. He was later placed in special classes to help him catch up. His school principal said that Chanie had a good sense of humour. He was often the first to understand jokes or clever wordplay.
The Escape
On October 16, 1966, Chanie and two friends, Ralph and Jackie MacDonald, ran away from the Cecilia Jeffrey School. Ralph and Jackie were brothers who had no parents. The three boys walked to Redditt, which was 31 km (19 mi) north of Kenora. They stayed with Ralph and Jackie's uncle, Charley Kelly, in Redditt.
After four days with the Kellys, Chanie decided to leave. He wanted to follow the Canadian National Railway (CN) tracks. He hoped they would lead him towards Ogoki Post, which was 600 km (370 mi) east and north from Kenora. Chanie had found a CN train schedule that included a map. He used this map to guide him home. The Kelly family gave him some food and matches. They also suggested he ask for help from the railway workers along the tracks.
His Journey and Death
Chanie only had a light windbreaker jacket. He walked for 36 hours in the wind as the temperature dropped to −6 °C (21 °F). Information from the investigation into his death showed he walked another 20 km (12 mi) east along the CN railway line. Bruises on his body showed that he had fallen several times.
He collapsed and died sometime on the morning of October 23. This happened in a rocky area near Farlane. His body was found next to the tracks at 11:20 am on October 23. Elwood McIvor, a CN railway engineer, found him. Elwood contacted the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The police, with help from a CN crew, recovered Chanie's body an hour later. Dr. Glenn Davidson, the coroner, said that Chanie died because of being too cold and from hunger.
On October 27, 1966, Chanie Wenjack was buried. His grave is in the cemetery on the reserve next to the Albany River.
Why Chanie's Story Matters
Bringing Attention to Residential Schools
Chanie Wenjack's story helped to show the unfair treatment of Indigenous children in the residential school system. A year after his death, a journalist named Ian Adams wrote an article. It was called "The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack" and was published in Maclean's magazine in February 1967. This article made people across Canada aware of Chanie's difficult experience.
Chanie's story, along with many other similar events, led to important changes. These included new laws and agreements, like the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. It also led to the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. These efforts aimed to address the harms caused by the residential school system.
Chanie's Lasting Impact
Today, Chanie Wenjack's story is seen as a symbol of strength and standing up against the residential school system. In 1973, Indigenous students at Trent University asked for a building to be named after him. The largest lecture hall on campus was then named Wenjack Theatre in his honour. On March 9, 2018, Trent University officially opened the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies.
In 2016, the Gord Downie-Chanie Wenjack Fund was created. This fund works to help bring healing and understanding between Canada and Indigenous peoples.
Chanie's Story in Popular Culture
On June 21, 2016, a Heritage Minute about Chanie Wenjack's death was released by Historica Canada. This happened on National Aboriginal Day. Unlike other Heritage Minutes, Chanie's story was told by his sister, Pearl.
The Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie created a concept album based on Chanie's escape. The album, called Secret Path, came out on October 18, 2016. At the same time, a graphic novel about Chanie's story by novelist Jeff Lemire was released. An animated film also aired on CBC Television.
In October 2016, a short novel by Canadian author Joseph Boyden was published. It focused on Chanie's suffering and his thoughts during his journey. The book was simply titled Wenjack. It was released along with Snip, a short animated film by Terril Calder.
A song called "Charlie" was recorded in 1971 by singer-songwriter Willie Dunn. This song was about Chanie Wenjack. It was not very well-known at the time. However, it gained new attention in the early 2020s after Secret Path was released and a collection of Dunn's songs, Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies, came out.
