Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Enjoy these Heritage Minutes brought to you by Historica Canada! While free to view and share, these productions remain under copyright. Re-uploads or modified versions are strictly prohibited without written prior permission. For all re-shares, please tag us (@HistoricaCanada).
The story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, whose death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. The 84th Heritage Minute in Historica Canada's collection.
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Version française : youtu.be/tWR-p7CUOuQ
On 16 October 1966, Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack and two of his friends escaped from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School during their afternoon time on the playground. 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 sparked national attention and the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. Wenjack has become a symbol of resistance to the power of colonization in Canada.
*Learn more on _The Canadian Encyclopedia_* :
Chanie Wenjack:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charlie-wenjack
Residential Schools in Canada:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools
Anishinaabe:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/anishinaabe
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Twitter: twitter.com/HistoricaCanada
TikTok: tiktok.com/@historicacanada
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Pinterest: pinterest.ca/historicac/_saved
*More educational content at* :
historicacanada.ca
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
*Credits* :
Chanie Wenhack: Davin Bomberry
Pearl Achneepineskum as herself
End Narrator: Joseph Boyden (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joseph-boyden)
DOP: James Klopko
Composer: Jordan O’Connor
Production Designer: David Hannan
Editor: Jordan O’Connor
Director: Shane Belcourt
Written by Joseph Boyden
Producer: Jeremy Edwardes
Produced by Corkscrew Media
Enjoy these Heritage Minutes brought to you by Historica Canada! While free to view and share, these productions remain under copyright. Re-uploads or modified versions are strictly prohibited without written prior permission. For all re-shares, please tag us (@HistoricaCanada).
The story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, whose death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. The 84th Heritage Minute in Historica Canada's collection.
*Join our mailing list* : historicacanada.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b239f6d4c109489e40480d52&id=307fa49399
SUBSCRIBE to learn more about Canada: histori.ca/youtube
Version française : youtu.be/tWR-p7CUOuQ
On 16 October 1966, Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack and two of his friends escaped from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School during their afternoon time on the playground. 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 sparked national attention and the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. Wenjack has become a symbol of resistance to the power of colonization in Canada.
*Learn more on _The Canadian Encyclopedia_* :
Chanie Wenjack:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charlie-wenjack
Residential Schools in Canada:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools
Anishinaabe:
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/anishinaabe
*FOLLOW US!*
Instagram: instagram.com/historicacanada
Twitter: twitter.com/HistoricaCanada
TikTok: tiktok.com/@historicacanada
Facebook: facebook.com/Historica.Canada
Pinterest: pinterest.ca/historicac/_saved
*More educational content at* :
historicacanada.ca
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
*Credits* :
Chanie Wenhack: Davin Bomberry
Pearl Achneepineskum as herself
End Narrator: Joseph Boyden (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joseph-boyden)
DOP: James Klopko
Composer: Jordan O’Connor
Production Designer: David Hannan
Editor: Jordan O’Connor
Director: Shane Belcourt
Written by Joseph Boyden
Producer: Jeremy Edwardes
Produced by Corkscrew Media
