From all of us at DWF, we would like to thank everyone who tuned in for our National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events on September 30! Both A DAY TO LISTEN 2022 and our panel discussion attracted record audiences and we can’t thank you enough for your support. September 30 may have passed but there is still lots to do to move reconciliation forward. DWF has several events planned for Secret Path Week and beyond, so please continue to stay involved and help keep the momentum going!
Secret Path Week 2022 is just around the corner. Taking place from October 17-22, Secret Path Week is a national movement that commemorates the legacies of Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack. This is a meaningful week as October 17 and 22 respectively mark the dates that Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack joined the spirit world. We call on all people throughout Canada to use Secret Path Week to answer Gord’s call to action, to “Do Something” by creating a reconciliACTION and furthering the conversation about the history of residential schools. Check out our events calendar to learn more and register for Secret Path Week events.
Students at Westview Centennial Secondary School in Toronto, ON Walk for Wenjack.
Everybody has their own reason to Walk for Wenjack. For some, it may be a moment to honour Chanie, for others, it may be an opportunity to raise awareness of the true history of residential schools. Each Walk for Wenjack is unique.
Plan a walk as an individual or with your friends, family, school, or community to help ensure Chanie’s legacy lives on.
|
Legacy Schools are given the unique opportunity to meet DWF Artist Ambassadors like Cody Coyote & GR Gritt in DWF LIVE virtual sessions.
DWF LIVE sessions will begin during Secret Path Week (Oct. 17-22) and are open to anyone who would like to join! More events will be added so be sure to bookmark DWF LIVE to make sure your Legacy School class, club, or youth group gets a spot! Legacy Schools who sign up with a classroom spot will get to meet the artist behind the virtual stage and have a question period directly with the artists. (Classroom spots are only available to classes, clubs and youth groups.)
|
Meet Classic Roots from Turning Tables for a special DWF LIVE session!
Once again, Docs For Schools is pleased to partner with DWF to provide free documentaries and educational guides during Secret Path Week.
The Secret Path Week program features films about Indigenous stories and issues. Teachers will be able to book these films starting on September 15, and films will be made available for an in-class, online screening from October 3-24, 2022.
For more information, visit: Secret Path Week | Hot Docs
A student walks by their Legacy School’s memorial fence, and teacher, Doran Reed, holds up her Orange Shirt design.
Since the papal visit in July 2022 resulted in mixed emotions for many Indigenous Peoples throughout the country, on September 30, DWF hosted a candid conversation with those who were directly involved in and affected by the visit in Treaty Six Territory. The panelists talked about the impacts of the visit on their communities, why the call to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery is a critical next step, and how non-Indigenous peoples can engage meaningfully in reconciliation.
In case you missed it, you can watch the recording on our Facebook or YouTube channel, or directly on our website. Use our discussion questions, available in English and French, to help guide the conversation.
|
DWF was proud to partner once again with major media outlets and radio stations throughout Canada for A DAY TO LISTEN 2022. With more than 500 radio stations participating, spanning different markets, regions, and formats, A DAY TO LISTEN 2022 leveraged the power of radio to inspire people throughout Canada to move reconciliation forward in meaningful ways. This year’s theme was ‘Messages of Hope’ and over a dozen Indigenous speakers and artists shared powerful stories and experiences of:
Listen to the program directly on our website!
|
Julian Taylor visits BGC Youth of the Year for a special Legacy Schools club visit on Sept. 30.
Julian Taylor met BGC’s Youth of the Year at a special Artist Ambassador visit on September 30. Julian shared music and stories of reconciliation, family, and hope with youth and BGC club members. Over 50 people joined to learn more about what meaningful change can look like through songs and stories at the West End Scarbough, ON club.
Learn more about Julian Taylor and the Artist Ambassador Program
We are proud to announce the launch of Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund in partnership with Hudson’s Bay Foundation. By supporting Indigenous-led initiatives we will create opportunities throughout Canada for Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous-led organizations to build capacity and elevate the strength of their communities. This work will also tell the true history of the Point Blanket in Canada and HBC’s role in colonialism. Both the support and the discussion are meaningful and much-needed steps forward on the path toward truth and reconciliation.
|
We are thrilled to announce that Wine Rack stores across Ontario will once again be supporting our work to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Visit downiewenjack.ca/winerack to learn how you can donate between September 30 and November 2 and support DWF!
Our partners at Dalton Associates invite you to celebrate the launch of their Legacy Space and enjoy a performance from DWF Artist Ambassadors, The Poets, an Indigenous Tragically Hip cover band! The Poets are visiting from Moose Factory, Ontario and will be performing at three other Legacy Spaces during Secret Path Week.
The launch celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 19 beginning at 6:00 pm at their office in Fergus, Ontario. This is a family-friendly event with food and non-alcoholic beverages, with all proceeds going to DWF. Learn more and register today!
 |
 |
|
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. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.
Phone: 1-844-944-4545
E-mail: staff@downiewenjack.ca
Address:
PO BOX 749
OHSWEKEN, ON
N0A1M0
Honour Gord’s Legacy this Secret Path Week 