The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5 - 31

DIVERSITY
& INCLUSION
DIVERSITY
& INCLUSION
M
ike Downie-Gord
Downie's older brother-
first heard the story of
Chanie Wenjack during a
radio documentary while
driving through Toronto
in 2012. As soon as he
got home, he searched for the Macleans article
about Chanie's death published in 1967. He knew
he had to share it with Gord, who had visited
almost every part of the country as a musician
but was largely unaware of the residential school
system. Through his research with Mike, Gord
was inspired to write ten poems, which became
ten songs, which became the pages of a graphic
novel and eventually a live performance and
animated film. The Secret Path project inspired
Gord to do more, and to leave a lasting legacy
as he came to the end of his own life. In 2016,
Mike and Gord co-founded the Gord Downie
& Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) in collaboration
with Chanie's surviving sisters and other family
members, including his niece, Harriet, an
elementary school educator.
Mike and Harriet each sit on DWF's Board of
Directors as representatives for their family
and get involved in every step. When DWF was
created, the organization operated as a project
under Tides Canada Initiatives and the Toronto
Foundation. A strong base of individuals followed
Gord's call to, " Do something. " which provided
a solid foundation for DWF to grow-we gained
status as a registered charity in 2018. Since then,
we've been able to establish a free, nation-wide
initiative called Legacy Schools that provides
educators with free learning materials for
their classroom each year. With nearly 4,000
educators participating, the program helps
ensure Indigenous perspectives are represented
and celebrated in schools across the country, and
students are learning the true history of Canada.
Through the Legacy Spaces program, we provide
this same education for adults.
On May 28th, we learned about the
heartbreaking discovery of 215 children buried
at a former residential school on Tk'emlúps te
Secwépemc territory, also known as Kamloops,
BC. Since then, many more have been recovered.
We know this process will continue for
several years. We stand with the families and
communities of these young children, and all
those impacted by residential schools in their
grief. As Chanie's eldest sister, Daisy Munroe, told
us, " It's really hard when we know what they're
going through. We always knew findings would
come out one day. " We've been fortunate enough
to witness our Legacy Schools, Legacy Spaces,
fundraisers and all supporters responding
with ReconciliACTION, the same way stories
like Chanie's changed hearts and minds across
Canada when it resurfaced.
Together, we can honour the lives of each child
who never returned home by learning about
the longstanding impact residential schools
continue to have today. In order to move
towards reconciliation, we need to understand
the truth. There were 139 residential schools
in operation throughout Canada between 1831
and 1996. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous
children went through these schools. Some
reports claim a mortality rate of 60%. The Truth
and Reconciliation Commission has stated that
over 3,200 children died in the residential school
system, but we know the true number is much
higher. In June, we launched the 215+ Pledge
as a call to action for leaders in government
and religious institutions to create meaningful
change. To date, over 15,000 individuals have
signed the pledge, and many have joined us,
writing to elected officials.
We're continuously working to deepen our
impact through new programs like Artists
Ambassadors and Youth Ambassadors, and grow
our annual events including Walk for Wenjack
and Secret Path Week. Taking place October 17-
22 each year, Secret Path Week marks the dates
Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack each joined
the spirit world. We're honoured to be included
in IBAO's Annual Convention during Secret Path
Week this year, and hope you'll consider joining
us on this journey towards reconciliation.
" Together, we
can honour the
lives of each
child who never
returned home
by learning about
the longstanding
impact residential
schools continue
to have today. "
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5
31
The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5
