Internet is worldwide. It is international. There is no country that doesn't involve itself with the internet in one way or another. The medium is how people know whether the information is reliable. If I went to strangers and told them “I am one of the smartest people ever” would they believe me? On the other hand, If Albert Einstein said the same thing, it would result in a different response. The Secret Path describes the story of Chanie Wenjack, an indigenous boy who had his childhood taken away from him to be sent to a residential school.
Gord Downie, a Candian singer-songwriter efficiently proves this idea. Downie is famously known for his heart-piercing music. Secret Path is a film that illustrates the story of Chanie Wenjack. Downie’s music flows with the illustrations. The calm yet confusing music completely synchronizes with the film showing its full potential. Although the music sounds great on its own, it's meaningless unless it's alongside the film. It's similar to Yin-Yang, without one other, balance is lost. Downie’s music embodies his feelings and emotions.
The Stranger is the first of the 10 songs of The Secret Path. This song along with the video demonstrates the story of the young indigenous boy. Chanie was 600km away from his home. With no sense of direction, Chanie had just kept walking. Hoping to see familiar scenery. But it was all the same. A forest that engulfed him throughout his journey. This medium not only demonstrates the story effectively but even adds more emotion and connection with the viewer. When I had first watched this video, I felt as if I could imagine what Chanie had gone through. I even listened to the song by itself and could visualize the journey.
Chanie’s story isn't only his story, it's Canada’s story. Many children faced the same fate Chanie had struggled through. Many families were separated for cultural cleansing. CHILDREN were abused and raped. And if that's not enough, they were even killed. Chanie is one of the thousands upon thousands that had been ill-treated. Murray Sinclair a Former Canadian Senator had addressed this problem with his complete beliefs. He believed that it isn't the Indigenous community's problem to solve, it is Canada's problem. The people of Canada must take responsibility to solve this problem.
Codes and conventions were used to impact the audience. It added to the story and demonstrates the story in great detail. A convention that made the story more understandable and easier to follow was simple sentences. The use of simple sentences not only delivered a great meaning but in a simple and effective way. Simple sentences are more appealing to teenagers rather than plain old boring paragraphs without images. This would also be effective towards adults also. They would be able to find the deeper meaning located in the simple sentences and relate to themselves.
This newspaper was released to inform the people about the death of Chanie Wenjack. However, due to the cultural cleansing, Chanie’s name was “changed” to Charlie. This shows that different mediums show different views, biases, beliefs, and comprehension. Stories would differ from people who have listened to different parts. If I had listened to the song but not watched the film. I would have different understandings and emotions than someone who only watched the film. This demonstrates the capabilities of a medium. Some mediums may show a more depressing story, while others may show a difficult journey. It all depends on the audience and their preference. Mediums are all different and have unique abilities.