The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

In 1966, at 12 years old, Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy, ran away from Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School in northern Ontario to reunite with his family 600 kilometres away. His body was found beside the railway tracks on October 22, 1966. His death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in the residential school system, and years later, inspired Gord Downie’s album, Secret Path.

Reconciliation became Gord’s central focus after he learned more about the history of Indigenous people in Canada and residential schools. At one of the final Tragically Hip concerts, Gord Downie asked all Canadians to look at the state of Indigenous-settler relations in this country and to “Do Something” to change them for the better.

The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is foundational to Canada and critical to its future. The impact of residential schools is still felt today, affecting the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities, and contributing to inequalities. Reconciliation is critical to healing and enabling the well-being and prosperity of all peoples in Canada.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) provides access to education on the true history of Canada and the lasting impact of the residential school system and other colonial policies. DWF encourages reconciliation through our programming, campaigns, partnerships, and events, including reconciliACTIONs (meaningful actions that move reconciliation forward). It is through our work that we are contributing to the shift in the collective consciousness of all peoples in Canada and improving the lives of Indigenous people.

ReconciliACTIONs aim to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples together in the spirit of reconciliation to create awareness, share, and learn. They act as a catalyst for important conversations and meaningful change, recognizing that change starts with every one of us. ReconciliACTIONs fulfill Gord’s call to action to “Do Something”.

OUR WORK
Through DWF, everyone in Canada can join our collective reconciliation journey. Our current programs demonstrate ways to “Do Something” to work toward reconciliation:

1) Legacy Schools is a national initiative to engage, empower, and connect students and educators to further reconciliation through awareness, education, and action. More than 9,500 educators and 7,000 schools from every province and territory are registered in the program, accessing free educational tools and resources to confidently teach students the true history and ensure Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, traditions, and rights are represented in the classroom.

2) Legacy Spaces are safe, welcoming places where conversations and education about Indigenous history and our collective journey toward reconciliation are encouraged and supported. 78 companies and organizations in 41 cities across Canada are providing 110+ spaces for continued learning and open and honest conversations about reconciliation.

3) Secret Path Week is a national movement commemorating the legacies of Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack and takes place annually from October 17-22, the dates of their passing, respectively. During Secret Path Week, DWF encourages everyone in Canada to answer Gord’s call to “Do Something” by creating reconciliACTIONs and furthering the conversation about the true history of residential schools.

4) Walk for Wenjack is an opportunity for schools, workplaces, groups, and individuals to gather to reflect on and raise awareness of the true history of residential schools. In Chanie’s honour, we walk the more than 600km he needed to get home from Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School.

DWF is an Indigenous-led organization whose approach to its work and all endeavours is rooted in the Seven Grandfather Teachings – Honesty, Wisdom, Respect, Humility, Courage, Love, and Truth. DWF is governed by a Board of Directors of outstanding professional Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders. We have been in operation since 2016 and received charitable status in 2018.