Secret Path

by Gord Downie

Jeff Lemire (Illustrator)

Secret Path is a ten song digital download album by Gord Downie with a graphic novel by illustrator Jeff Lemire that tells the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, a twelve-year-old boy who died in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School fifty years ago.

Chanie, misnamed Charlie by his teachers, was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to return home. Chanie's home was 400 miles away. He didn't know that. He didn't know where it was, nor how to find it, but, like so many kids--more than anyone will be able to imagine--he tried.

Chanie's story is Canada's story. We are not the country we thought we were. History will be re-written. We are all accountable. Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of Canada's history--the long suppressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system--with the hope of starting our country on a road to reconciliation. Every year as we remember Chanie Wenjack, the hope for Secret Path is that it educates all Canadians young and old on this omitted part of our history, urging our entire nation to play an active role in the preservation of Indigenous lives and culture in Canada.

The next hundred years are going to be painful as we come to know Chanie Wenjack and thousands like him--as we find out about ourselves, about all of us--but only when we do can we truly call ourselves, "Canada."

Proceeds from Secret Path will be donated to The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation via The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) at The University of Manitoba.

• ISBN10: 1501155946
• ISBN13: 9781501155949
• Publish Date: 18 October 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 96
• Language: English

Reviews

[wcs53]

I borrowed this from the library, but I intend to buy my own copy in the near future. This graphic novel tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve-year-old boy who died fifty years ago, running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School fifty years ago, attempting to get home by following the railroad tracks.. The story is representative of a dark time in Canada's history and is one that needs to be remembered in order for us to all move forward.

Jeff Lemire is one of my favourite graphic novelists and this is another winner from him. There isn't a lot of printed dialogue, as the pictures pretty much talk for themselves. The book comes with access to downloading Gord Downie's album of the same name, which is a good reason for me to pick up my own copy. Added to this, proceeds from the book will be donated to The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.