Chanie Wenjack was a twelve-year-old Indigenous boy who escaped from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, only to perish in the wild due to hunger and harsh weather.

Working with Gord Downie’s poetry and music, artist Jeff Lemire has created a powerful visual representation of the life of Chanie Wenjack. The animated film, The Secret Path, is divided into ten chapters, each a song from Downie’s musical retelling of Chanie’s story. It will be broadcast on CBC this Sunday at 9 p.m.

The final product is 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.” He has launched The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, which is dedicated to improving the lives of First Peoples through cross-cultural education to support healing and recovery.

To learn more, and to donate, visit here.