Sometimes I miss faith and learning opportunities. Recently. Joseph Boyden wrote a short book called Wenjack . Boyden is a Canadian author who has written Though Black Spruce and Three Day Road among other books. He is a person of Indigenous descent, and lives both here and in the United States.
Wenjack is about a young First Nations boy who escapes from a residential school. It describes the horrible treatment that young Chanie Wenjack endured while at this school. I would recommend that you read the book, and tell others to read it. It is an easy ( and difficult) and short read for anybody.
I went to Trent University from 1977-1980. At that time, Trent had one of the few Native Studies programs in Canada. I do remember that we had quite a few Native students at Trent. Trent was a small university at the time, and so we probably had a larger Native presence than anywhere else. I did not interact with many of the Native students. Most of the Native students lived at one of the colleges across the Otanabee River. In my three years, I do not remember Native students living at Lady Easton College, where I lived in residence. I might have missed it.
I studied History and English. I never took a Native Studies course in my Trent Education. The Wenjack Theatre was situated across the river , near Otonabee College. It was a performing arts center, as well as the largest arts lecture hall on campus . So, I was in the lecture hall almost everyday of my Trent years . Every day I went to the Wenjack Theatre, but I never asked who the hall was named after during my three years there. I went to a lecture by Northrop Frye, a famous Canadian academic. I went to maybe a hundred movies there. They had the Canadian Images festival there. It was/is a celebration Canadian film. So, I was in that space maybe over 1000 times. I never thought to ask who is Chanie ( or Charlie) Wenjack ? It never crossed my mind until Joseph Boyden wrote the the book this year.
I was a Christian at the time I went to Trent. I has been baptized as an eighteen year old at my home church. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, but in looking back it was a shallow belief. It was all about me, and it did not have anything to with the world, or with peace and justice. I knew nothing about residential schools, or the attempted genocide of the Native culture here in Canada. Our culture took many children out of their homes and , put them in schools, and did not allow them to speak their language or learn about their culture. It was an attempt at a cultural genocide.
But, I did not ask any questions about these things while at Trent. I did not ask who Wenjack was during my time there. What in my religious life with God am I missing today ? I have learned that my life of faith, and my life in the world must connect everyday. I must ask what Jesus Christ wants from me. Jesus wants me to act in ways of justice and of peace all the time. But, I sometimes still miss it. I laughed at the candidacy of Donald Trump, but looked at what happened. I assumed that the Canadian government works for justice and peace, but they/we still sold those armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. They said that they had no choice. As a Christian , I believe we always have a choice to follow the ways of Jesus or not.
Dear God, help me to have my eyes open to the ways of peace. Forgive me for missing the native story, and the especially the story of Chanie Wenjack. Open my eyes in Elmira, in Kitchener, Colombia and other places . Heal me, O Lord. Forgive Me, O Lord . Show me your mercy, so I might live a life of peace and justice.
Long live the story of Chanie Wenjack .
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 