John’s healing journey ends at Nunavik’s northernmost community

John Kawapit and his fellow walkers arrive in Ivujivik April 4. Kawapit ended his walk early due to a knee injury, but says he’ll continue to walk Nunavik’s coast next winter. (PHOTO BY ANTHONY KAWAPIT)

Kawapit walked roughly 1,000 kilometres in two months, leaving his hometown of Whapmagoostui Jan. 30, which neighbours Kuujjuaraapik, and arriving in Ivujivik April 4. (GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE)

When John Kawapit set out on snowshoes in January from his home community of Whapmagoostui, he had no idea where his feet would take him.

More than two months later, the Cree man will fly home from Nunavik’s northernmost village, Ivujivik, not quite halfway around the region’s coast.

Kawapit has walked more than 800 kilometres through an Arctic winter, stopping for breaks in the five communities he passed along the way: Umiujaq, Inukjuak, Puvirnituq, Akulivik and Ivujivik.

But his plans to walk the entire coast of Nunavik stopped short April 4, when he arrived in Ivujivik and decided a knee injury had made it too painful to continue as the snow begins to soften along the Hudson coast.

“It’s really emotional… that I can’t go on any longer,” Kawapit said in a video he posted to his Facebook page April 4. “[But] I’m glad I made it this far.

“I just want to thank all the people who were supporting me for this journey, all my followers who were encouraging me not to give up.”

After a 2015 suicide attempt and a life-long dependency an alcohol, the 46-year-old was in search of healing. Kawapit decided to walk the entire coast of Nunavik as a way to get fit, reflect on life and kick his addiction.

As he walked, Kawapit drew an outpouring of support from followers on his Facebook page, titled John’s Healing Journey, as well as from Nunavimmiut in the communities he stopped in. Other walkers joined him along the way, including his partner, Alice and son, Anthony.

Kawapit has not only grown physically stronger over the last two months; he’s also had a number of lessons in Arctic survival: learning to build an igloo and to prepare country foods.

As he returns home, Kawapit has said before that he healing will continue.

“I’ll have to get more help,” he told Nunatsiaq News in February.

But Kawapit says his walking journey isn’t over — he plans to return to Ivujivik in December to continue to walk Nunavik’s coast.

“I have to finish my journey,” he said.