Chanie Wenjack

Quick Facts

Full Name	Chanie Wenjack
Occupation	First Nations Boy
Date Of Birth	Jan 19, 1954(1954-01-19)
Age	70
Date Of Death	1966-10-23
Birthplace	Marten Falls Indian Reserve No. 65
Country	Canada
Birth City	Ogoki
Horoscope	Capricorn

Chanie Wenjack Biography

Chanie Wenjack is one of the most popular and richest First Nations Boy who was born on January 19, 1954 in Marten Falls Indian Reserve No. 65, Ogoki, Canada. Chanie Wenjack was born in 1954 at the Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve. When he turned nine years old, the young man was referred along with his two sisters to live in the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora. After his arrival the school was established, he received the name of ‘Charlie’. The school was sponsored through government officials from the Canadian government and was managed by the Women’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church. In the early days, 150 students attended the school. Wenjack started his education in the middle of his nineteen years. He was placed in remedial classes shortly afterward. He was known for having an excellent sense of humor according to the Cree principal of the school. He was the first to identify an oddity or riddle.

Questions of ethics were raised, and revealed the inhumane treatment and mistreatment of indigenous children within the school’s residential system. One year after the death of Wenjack, an article by journalist Ian Adams, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack,” was published in February 1967 in the magazine Maclean’s. The article brought the tragedy to the attention of the nation.

The Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie wrote a concept album based on Wenjack’s escape. The album, dubbed Secret Path, was released on October 18, 2016, along with a concurrent graphic novel of Wenjack’s story by novelist Jeff Lemire and an animated film which aired on CBC Television.

On June 21, 2016, a Heritage Minute about Wenjack’s death was released by Historica Canada to coincide with National Aboriginal Day. Unlike other Heritage Minutes that were narrated by actors, Wenjack’s was narrated by his sister, Pearl.

The morning of 16 October in 1966, Wenjack along with two of his schoolmates and orphaned brothers Ralph as well as Jackie MacDonald, ran away from the school for residential students to all the way to Redditt at a distance of 31 km (19 miles) northwest of Kenora. Wenjack only had seven matches. The three boys were staying in the company of Ralph his uncle and Jackie’s, Charley Kelly, in Redditt. After spending four nights in the company of their family, the Kellys, Wenjack left to follow the Canadian National Railway (CN) mainline to Ogoki Post, 600 km (370 miles) east and north of Kenora. He came across the CN passenger timetable that included maps and was using it as a guide for his return home. The Kellys offered him food and matches, and suggested he seek assistance from the maintenance section crews that were stationed on the line.

Chanie Wenjack Net Worth

Chanie Wenjack is one of the richest First Nations Boy from Canada. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Chanie Wenjack 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack (January 19 1954 – 22 October 1996) was an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nations boy who fled of Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School which he attended for three years, while attending the residential education located in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. He was stricken by suffering from hunger and exposure in Farlane, Ontario while trying to walk for 600 kilometers (370 miles) to get back residence, Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve. His experience and death raised awareness about the conditions of children within the Canadian Indian Residential School System and, following the death of Wenjack an inquest into the case was mandated through the Government of Canada.

On the 27th of October, 1996, Wenjack died in the graveyard located on the reserve next to the Albany River.

Published in October 2016, a novella by Canadian author Joseph Boyden focused on the suffering Wenjack endured and his state of mind during his ordeal. Its title is simply Wenjack.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Chanie Wenjack height Not available right now. Chanie weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Chanie Wenjack Dating?

According to our records, Chanie Wenjack is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Chanie Wenjack’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Chanie Wenjack. You may help us to build the dating records for Chanie Wenjack!

Facts & Trivia

Chanie Ranked on the list of most popular First Nations Boy. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in Canada. Chanie Wenjack celebrates birthday on January 19 of every year.

Is Chanie Wenjack real?

Chanie Wenjack, misnamed Charlie Wenjack by his teachers, was an Anishinaabe boy born in Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve on January 19th, 1954. Chanie’s story, tragically, is like so many stories of Indigenous children in this country; he fell victim to Canada’s colonization of Indigenous Peoples.

What is Chanie Wenjack known for?

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.

How far did Chanie Wenjack walk in seven days?

Charlie Wenjack was an Ojibway Indian attending Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ont. He became lonely and ran away. He died trying to walk 400 miles home to his father, who lives and works on an isolated reservation in northern Ontario.

What is the Chanie Wenjack fund?

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund – Indigenous Reconciliation. Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Is Chanie Wenjack still alive?

October 23, 1966