Chanie+Wenjack


 * Nov 9, 2016 **
 * [|The Chanie Wenjack story] **
 * In the month of October there was a lot of talk in Canadian media about the Chanie Wenjack story … let the Library get you up to speed and share resources if you are curious to know more about the tragic death of this young boy 50 years ago … **

**[|100 Years of Loss Website on Indian Residential Schools] **  //Walk on, little Charlie // //Walk on through the snow. // //Heading down the railway line, // //Trying to make it home. // //Well, he’s made it forty miles, // //Six hundred left to go. // //It’s a long old lonesome journey, // //Shufflin’ through the snow. //
 * This year many well-known and talented Canadian artists decided to get involved in highlighting the 50th anniversary of Chanie’s death as it is a very compelling reminder to Canada about the impact of ****//Indian Residential Schools //**** on our Indigenous population. **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Originally a folk singer and politician by the name of Willie Dunn wrote a song in 1972 “Charlie Wenjack” to tell the story on his debut self-titled album. **

//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He’s lonesome and he’s hungry, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s been a time since last he ate, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And as the night grows bolder, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He wonders at his fate. // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">For his legs are wracked with pain // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As he staggers through the night. // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And he sees through his troubled eyes, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That his hands are turning white. //

//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lonely as a single star, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the skies above, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">His father in a mining camp, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">His mother in the ground, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And he’s looking for his dad, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And he’s looking out for love, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just a lost little boy by the railroad track // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Heading homeward bound. //

//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Is that the great Wendigo // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Come to look upon my face? // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And are the skies exploding // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Down the misty aisles of space? // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Who’s that coming down the track, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walking up to me? //

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> //Her arms outstretched and waiting,//

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> //Waiting just for me.//

//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walk on, little Charlie, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walk on through the snow. // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Moving down the railway line, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Try to make it home. // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And he’s made it forty miles, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Six hundred left to go. // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s a long old lonesome journey, // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shufflin’ through the snow. //

//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Willie Dunn // **<span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: none;">[|The Lonely Death of Chanie Wenjack, Maclean’s article, Ian Adams, 1967] ** <span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **<span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Secret Path website] ** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **<span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: none;">[|How Chanie Wenjack chose Joseph Boyden] ** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> **<span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: none;">[|A Tribe Called Red] ** <span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;">
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">The following link to the Maclean’s Magazine 1967 article by Ian Adam, tells how Chanie Wenjack’s body was discovered by the side of railway tracks in Northern Ontario, after he tried to escape ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Indian Residential School //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;"> … **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Recently the many artists inspired to work on the Chanie Wenjack story recognize that their interest is due to Ian Adams’ article … which brings about the question … **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire collaborated on ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Secret Path //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">. Downie wrote 10 poems converted into songs to tell Chanie’s story, while Jeff Lemire created the graphic novel to give the songs a visual representation. **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt;">(The Library has this resource) **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Author Joseph Boyden worked on a novel called ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Seven Matches //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;"> (to be released next year) to recount the Chanie Wenjack story, however with the October deadline looming, his publisher encouraged him to release a novella first – ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Wenjack. //**
 * //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt;">(T //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt;">he Library has this resource) **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Joseph Boyden also wrote an article in Maclean’s magazine, October 21st, 2016, to explain how Chanie Wenjack’s story chose him … **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Metis filmmaker Terril Calder worked hard on her haunting stop motion film with the working title **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">[|//The Charlie Project//] **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Also, the DJ collective and genius music makers ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">A Tribe Called Red //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;"> included some spoken word tracks on their album ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">We Are The Halluci Nation //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">, dedicated to the young boy. **

**<span style="color: #4582ec; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Chanie Wenjack Heritage Minute] ** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
 * //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Historica Canada //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;"> produced a ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Heritage Minute //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;"> about Chanie Wenjack featuring Chanie’s sister Pearl who survived Indian Residential School. **
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">This can help you explore Chanie Wenjack’s tragic story. Let it help us as we move forward in ****//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">Reconciliation //****<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25.5pt;">. **