LITTLE CURRENT—The annual Mnaamodzawin Health Services Wellness Conference is always well-attended, but this year’s return to in-person attendance saw a bumper crop of filled chairs for ‘Rekindling Our Spirit.’ The daylong Wellness Conference 2023 took place at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre in Little Current on February 15.
Keynote speaker for the conference, Mike Downie, was the co-founder of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund and the brother of the popular late frontman of the Tragically Hip. Mr. Downie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, director and producer whose works include ‘Invasion of the Brain Snatchers,’ ‘The Hockey Nomad,’ ‘One Ocean’ and, most importantly in this context, ‘Secret Path.’ He is also a consummate oral storyteller.
‘Secret Path’ is an animated short based on a graphic novel of the same name which tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a young Anishinaabe boy who fled the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in late fall of 1966 and perished in the frigid wilderness while following the railroad tracks, attempting to walk the 600 kilometres (400 miles) to his home in Ogoki Post First Nation in Marten Falls in Northern Ontario.
An engaging and animated speaker, Mr. Downie guided his audience along the journey from when he first learned of Chanie’s story in Ian Adam’s McLean’s Magazine article to the completion of the graphic novel and animated film several years later.
Mr. Downie explained that one of the key elements in the drive to bring Chanie’s story to the forefront is that 150,000 children pulled from their homes and placed in residential school is a number hard for people to grasp, but the story of one tragic outcome is something that people can internalize and comprehend.
It was a story that Mr. Downie said “changed me and my brother” and played a significant role in his brother’s last two years of life.
Mr. Downie shared how his family was still reeling from the death of their father when Gord Downie suffered a seizure while walking down a Kingston street. The diagnosis that came was devastating. As the disease progressed, it impacted Gord Downie’s memory to the point where he could not remember the lyrics to the songs he had written and made famous through his records and performances. The epic final tour of the Tragically Hip featured eight monitors displaying the lyrics to the song his brother was singing.
Despite his memory challenges, Mr. Downie’s impassioned charge to Canada (and aimed directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was in the audience that final show in Mr. Downie’s Hometown of Kingston) during that concert was for our nation to redress the harm that had been done by the residential school system and to follow a path of true reconciliation—and it was delivered without notes or monitor prompts direct from the singer’s heart.
Mr. Downie spoke of the many challenges that came up along the creation journey of ‘Secret Path.’
Both he and his brother travelled to meet Chanie’s family and learned more about the young man from the people who knew him.
Mr. Downie relayed the amusing story of his first phone call with Chanie’s sister, who had been dreaming of how to get the young man’s story out to the world. She was a big fan of Oprah Winfrey and sent a note to her asking to profile his story on her television show.
“The long pause that followed my introduction was apparently disappointment that it wasn’t Oprah calling,” laughed Mr. Downie.
The brothers had approached graphic artist Jeff Lemire in 2014 in an attempt to commission him to produce a graphic novel, but the artist informed them he would not be able to do the work in the timeframe envisioned as he had two years’ projects already lined up.
But upon returning to his studio, Mr. Lemire set pen to paper and began sketching. Shortly after, the brothers received the first drawing—which incredibly turned out to be a remarkable likeness to Chanie. “He had never seen a photograph of Chanie,” shared Mr. Downie. Chanie’s story captured the artist and as it turned out they would not have to wait.
To the many amazing interactions that have taken place in the production of ‘Secret Path’ can be added the introduction of Mr. Downie to Elaine Nahwegahbow of Anudeck Omni Kaning, who was in the audience. Ms. Nahwegahbow is one of Chanie’s cousins.
The Secret Path is an animated film adaptation of Gord Downie’s album and Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel where Mr. Lemire has created a powerful visual representation of the life of Chanie Wenjack. The film is divided into 10 chapters, each featuring a song from Mr. Downie’s musical retelling of Chanie’s story—from his escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to his subsequent and heartbreaking death from hunger and exposure to the harsh weather. The final product is described a “a uniquely immersive emotional experience – an insight into the life of a little boy who, as Gord has said, he never knew, ‘but will always love’.”
Proceeds from the sale of ‘Secret Path’ go to the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund and have supported initiatives such as The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation via The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at The University of Manitoba.
“The Secret Path” was broadcast by CBC in an hour-long commercial-free television special on Sunday, October 23. ‘The Secret Path’ and Road to Reconciliation panel discussion can be watched at cbc.ca/secretpath.
More information on ‘Secret Path’ can be found at www.downiewenjack.ca where it is also possible to donate to the fund.
