![]() ![]() ![]() "It is difficult and out of the way for him and they acknowledged his efforts to get to know the community, where had come from, to meet the family, find out how they are today, how things went, and you know, get to know. "It is not easy to get here sometimes," said Achneepineskum. He was also impressed that Downie made the effort to visit the Ojibway fly-in community, which sits about 450 km northeast of Thunder Bay. He did a lot for our community and for raising the story of Chanie Wenjack," said Achneepineskum.ĭownie took the time to get to know Wenjack's extended family and the community as a whole, Achneepineskum said. Marten Falls Chief Bruce Achneepineskum was drinking his morning coffee and watching the news Wednesday when he found out about Downie's death. Wenjack had left the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School and was trying to make it home.ĭownie wrote an album, The Secret Path, based on Wenjack's story and the music was included in a film based on a graphic novel about the boy's death.Ī foundation was also created in Wenjack's memory and Downie developed a close bond with Wenjack's family and Marten Falls. In one of his last musical projects, Downie set out to immortalize and educate the Canadian public about residential schools through the tragic story of Chanie Wenjack, a boy from Marten Falls First Nation who was found dead on railroad tracks near Kenora, Ont., in October 1966. 'We are less as a country': Prime Minister, politicians pay tribute to Gord Downie.It's maybe worse than it's ever been," said Downie that night. "And what's going on up there ain't good. last August, Canada watched as Downie told the nation it was time to get serious about reconciliation with Indigenous communities.Īddressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Downie said Canadians "were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word" of what was happening on northern First Nations. "We told him with the bestowing of his name, in our custom, our tradition, it helps you in this world, but it also helps you in the next world, because your relatives, that is how they'll call you, to come and help and assist you on your journey." Using his spotlightĭuring the final Tragically Hip concert in Kingston, Ont. "He felt a great honour and he was really humbled by ," said Bellegarde. Indigenous leaders across the country paid tribute to Downie Wednesday, after his death was announced at the age of 53. Downie wept during the ceremony which was held in December 2016 during the AFN's annual winter assembly. ![]() It was a powerful event in the ballroom of the Hilton Lac Leamy Casino in Gatineau, Que., when Downie was wrapped in a star blanket, handed an eagle feather and bestowed the name of Wicapi Omani, which is Lakota for One Who Walks with the Stars. He kept asking, 'Where should I stand? Should I say anything? Do I give the tobacco now?" "He didn't want to make a mistake," said Bellegarde. Tragically Hip's Gord Downie dead at 53. ![]()
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