Chanie Wenjack

1954-1966
Chanie Wenjack
Chanie Charlie Wenjack (born 19
January 1954; died 23 October 1966 near
Redditt, ON). Chanie Wenjack, an
Anishinaabe boy from Ontario, ran away
from his residential school near Kenora
at age 12, and subsequently died from
hunger and exposure to the harsh
weather. His death in 1966 sparked
national attention and the first inquest
into the treatment of Indigenous
children in Canadian residential schools.
Early Life
Wenjack grew up at Ogoki Post,
on the Marten Falls Reserve,
with his parents, sisters and two
dogs. Ogoki Post did not have a
day school. At age nine, Wenjack
and three of his sisters were
sent to Cecilia Jeffrey Indian
Residential School, more than
600 km away, where he was
given the name Charlie.
Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School
Located near Kenora,
Ontario, the Cecilia Jeffrey
School was run by the
Womens Missionary Society
of the Presbyterian Church
in Canada, and paid for by
the federal government.
During the 1960s, 150
students lived at Cecilia
Jeffrey and attended classes
at schools in Kenora
At Cecilia Jeffrey
Wenjack started residential school at
Cecilia Jeffrey when he was nine
years old and was placed in grade one.
After two years, he was put in
remedial classes with special
instruction in English and arithmetic.

The principal of the Kenora school

remembered Wenjack as a boy with a good sense of humour,
particularly adept at noticing wordplay. However, he died before
learning how to read English.
Escape
On 16 October 1966, Wenjack and two of his
friends escaped from school during their
afternoon time on the playground. They were
wearing only light cotton clothes.

Children often ran away from the schools. At

Cecilia Jeffrey the principal used strapping as
punishment for students who ran away. The same
day, nine other children also escaped from
Cecilia Jeffrey. Running away was dangerous;
children could lose limbs to frostbite or accident.
Many, like Wenjack, died.
Escape
Children ran away from residential
schools for many reasons. Wenjack told
his friends that he wanted to see his
father.

We believe that Wenjack had run away

because he was lonely.

Wenjacks sister, Pearl, believes that he

may have run away because he was
sexually assaulted. Many students were
sexually and physically abused at
residential schools.
Journey
In his escape, Wenjack followed his two friends to the
cabin of their uncle. On the first day of their escape,
they walked for over eight hours.
After they arrived at the cabin, Kelly took his nephews, but not Chanie. Chanie
set out alone to find his father.

Wenjack carried only a glass jar with a few matches. Wenjack survived for the
next 36 hours.

The weather turned harsh, with snow squalls and freezing rain. The
temperature went down to -7C. With only a cotton windbreaker and no food,
Wenjack covered 19 km on foot. When he was found, his body was bruised
from repeated falls.
Death
Wenjack died in the early
morning of 23 October 1966,
one week after he escaped
from Cecilia Jeffrey School. He
died of exposure and hunger.
A Canadian National Railways
engineer passing on a freight
train discovered his body
beside the track. Wenjack was
over 60 km from the Cecilia
Jeffrey School.
Aftermath
According to an investigation,
Chanies mother requested that his
body be returned home, and was
denied several times before it was
sent. Furthermore, Wenjacks father
did not know that his son had died.
When the police and the school could
not contact him the first time, they
stopped trying.
Inquest
An investigation into Wenjacks death concluded that:

The Indian education system causes tremendous emotional and adjustment

problems for these children.

It was recommended that:

a study be made of the present Indian education and philosophy. Is it right?

This made people question the residential schools.

Wenjacks story was published in Maclean in 1967, The Lonely Death of Charlie
Wenjack,.
The Secret Path-Gord Downie
In October 2016, Tragically Hip
singer Gord Downie released The
Secret Path, a an album and
graphic novel, based on
Wenjacks story.

Proceeds from the project will be

donated to The Gord Downie
Secret Path Fund for Truth and
Reconciliation.
Finally
Wenjacks story, as well as the many
similarly tragic stories of residential
school students, led to eventual
legislative reforms and class action
lawsuits, including the Indian
Residential Schools Settlement
Agreement and the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission.
Heritage Minute
Song: The Stranger by The Tragically Hip
As we listen to the song take a moment to privately write down your own
thoughts about the song.
The Stranger - The Tragically Hip
What are your ideas and feelings
about the song?

What does the song mean? How

do you think Chanie felt leading
up to his decision to run away?

Brainstorm the planning involved

in running away what factors
would Chanie have had to
consider?
Source:
Carley, Georgia. "Chanie Wenjack." Historica Canada, 21 Mar. 2016,
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charlie-wenjack/. Accessed 27
Sept. 2017.