By: Priya MigneaultIn Joseph Boyden’s insightful and heart wrenching novel called ‘Wenjack’ we follow Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwe boy, who runs away in the dead of winter from his residential school in Northern Ontario, not realizing he is hundreds of kilometers away from his home. Throughout his long and trying journey home he is watched, taunted, and comforted by the woodland spirits. The boy's determination and drive to return to where he was taken away from offers the readers a brief insight into the struggles that Indigenous people in Canada have faced since colonization started. ‘Wenjack’ is based on the true story of Chanie Wenjack, who attended a residential school in Ontario in the 1960’s. However, he captures the reader's imagination by narrating the novel through the eyes of a variety of Canadian species who follow the boy throughout his journey adding a layer of traditional indigenous storytelling. Author Joseph Boyden published the short novel in 2016 in collaboration with Cree artist Kent Monkman to raise awareness about Canada’s past misjustices. The book is 112 pages long, and makes for a great weekend read. It maintains suspense and piques the readers curiosity , while providing insight into a true historical event. The main themes behind this novel, such as reconciliation, residential schools, and Indigenous rights, have been at the forefront of the media in our country over the past year due to the discovery of mass unmarked Indigenous children's graves. ‘Wenjack’ is an absolute must read and is a great jumping off point into Indigenous Canadian history. It pulls on people's heart-strings and compassion connecting them to this important moment in our nation’s past that is still dictating our future. You can purchase Boyden’s novel on Amazon, at Chapters, The Next Page, and Pages on Kensington.
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