Students from Carpenter High School took part in a walkathon in honour of Chanie Wenjack. The walkathon was organized by three students and was open for anyone to join. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

Residential School Awareness

Students organize Chanie Wenjack walkathon

Jun 18, 2019 | 5:01 PM

A project put together by three Carpenter High School students is getting youth out of their seats and talking about residential schools.

Bailey Cowan, Nadine Craig and Jace Timmer held a walkathon in honour of Chanie Wenjack in Lions Park on June 18.

The three students organized the walkathon as part of a project in their Native Studies class. The class was told of the story of Chanie Wenjack through Gord Downie’s The Secret Path project.

From left, Nadine Craig, Bailey Cowan and Jace Timmer put together the walkathon and kept track of the laps participants had completed. They will total the kilometres walked and compare them to the 600 kilometre journey Chanie Wenjack had planned to walk. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW)

“At the end of the unit everybody did a different project and this was the project we chose because it brought out a lot of awareness,” Timmer said.

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The main purpose of the walkathon was to bring awareness to Wenjack’s story and the effects of residential schools.

“We had a lot of people asking about why we were doing and who was it for, who Chanie Wenjack was,” Cowan said. “It was nice to explain to them and they have a better understanding now.”

Wenjack was 12-years-old when he ran away from the Cecilia Jeffrey residential school in Ontario and died on his way home in 1966. Wenjack tried to walk over 600 kilometres to his father’s home but died of hunger and exposure to harsh weather.

Bailey Cowan said her mother thought of the idea of organizing a walkathon in honour of Wenjack’s journey and the victims and survivors of residential schools.

“Nadine and I put together an idea and then we came up to Jace because he’s very good with marketing,” Cowan said.

Timmer put together the donation forms and posters and Craig kept track of the laps done by the school to compare their walk to Wenjack’s journey.

“Everybody walked at least four times around the track,” Craig said. “Which is more than what I thought anybody would actually walk.”

While the main purpose of the walkathon was to raise awareness of Wenjack’s life and the effects of residential schools, the group also took donations. All proceeds went towards the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund which improves the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness and education through reconciliation efforts.

“I bet you the whole school knows what this fund is and where their donations are going towards,” Timmer said.

Music from Gord Downie’s album The Secret Path was played at the walkathon. The album was inspired by the story of Chanie Wenjack. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW)

The walk was also open for anyone to join. Connie Derocher and members from Flying Dust First Nation walked with the students. Derocher said she was amazed with the work the students had put into this project.

“The fact that this is student-led makes it so much better,” Derocher said. “This is their idea and the fact that there is the education and awareness of the residential school era. The stories of people like Chanie Wenjack is getting out there and the younger generation is aware of it is awesome.”

Derocher said she was glad to see the students and school talk about the parts of Canadian history some people don’t want to explore.

Cowan mentioned the teachers at Carpenter High School were also impressed by their idea and hope to hold an annual walkathon.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov