‘Now we’re on a trip together’: Mother, son share healing journey on TikTok
Braden Kadlun Johnston, Hovak Johnston’s videos have amassed millions of views
Braden Kadlun Johnston, left, and his mother Hovak Johnston document their healing journeys and film themselves eating country food for thousands of followers on TikTok. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Braden Kadlun Johnston and his mother Hovak Johnston have more than 200,000 TikTok followers between them.
The pair’s videos — in which they candidly show everyday scenes like eating country food or showing off their sealskin clothing — have amassed millions of views.
Things haven’t always been easy for them, however.
Long before TikTok, the two had a combative relationship.
Hovak describes struggling with trauma from her childhood in residential school, well into her adulthood.
Braden, meanwhile, says he is a 24-year-old ex-addict celebrating four years of sobriety.
“We couldn’t even stay in the room for five minutes before we start having a yelling match or somebody [goes] crying or something like that,” Hovak said in a lengthy interview with Nunatsiaq News, sitting beside her son in the newspaper’s Iqaluit office earlier this month.
“Now we’re on a trip together; nobody would ever have believed that we were going on a trip back then.”
Hovak was born in the now-abandoned Nunavut community of Umingmaktok and now lives in the Northwest Territories. Braden is from Kugluktuk and now lives in Calgary where he attends university, pursuing a philosophy degree.
Both say they found their own paths to a better life through rehab and therapy.
It took a lot of patience and finding understanding between each other, but the mother and son say they want to use their stories to inspire other Inuit in their healing journeys.
“We’re sort of providing the blueprint that we use to break that cycle of generational trauma and how we became not just the reconnected mother and son, but friends,” Braden said.
“We’re so authentic on social media, it doesn’t really feel like we’re doing anything super crazy sometimes.”
Hovak added, “In residential school, like the generation before me, they were taught not to associate with any relatives or any siblings and not to show any affection.
“I find it’s really important for us to try and reconnect that way, and even though it’s really hard and can be really difficult we just [have] to be really patient with each other.”
Braden and Hovak’s TikTok journeys mark a new chapter in their lives.
With their online fame, the two have become celebrities in northern and Inuit communities and are often approached by people of all ages who enjoy their content.
It wasn’t their intention to become famous, but they are happy their videos are having a positive impact.
In the videos, Braden does more of the talking to the camera, often about Inuit culture or issues surrounding mental health and sobriety. Hovak often introduces viewers to the people she meets in the places she travels to.
At the end of November, the pair visited Iqaluit to share their messages with Embrace Life Council, an organization that shares a similar mission to promote mental health in Nunavut.
“It’s really cute, because it’s so positive and it’s really nice to bring smiles and hope to people,” Hovak said.
“It’s sad that it’s rare to see such a close bond [between] mother [and] son, so it really means a lot.”
Even if not every day is perfect, the pair say they feel embraced and supported by their online followers.
Braden says he uses his platform as somewhat of an online diary, talking about the good days and the bad days as they happen.
“I feel compelled to share and to speak on my journey and what we’ve been through and where we’re going, because it’s not just about sharing the hardships,” he said.
“It’s about sharing the success you’ve found to show that there is another side.”
not to be trite. but how come everybody up here is on some kind of healing journey? my thinking always was stuff happens. deal with it. no complaining.
I agree, we all have problems , dwell on it then move on !!!!
small population is more noticeable up here in Nunavut, imagine what it’s like down south, many don’t even attempt to heal themselves any more, tent cities in the city centers. can’t do anything about it, lower Canada don’t give a damn…..
No one is alike. Thinking others should suffer and move on like you is toxic. Everyone needs support not judgment. That’s why many people with problems commit suicide or have failed relationship later.
So glad to see we have more platforms for people whom only seek attention, her poor husband most wonder if she will ever take a day off…
It was not their intention to become famous – is possibly the most contradictory statement ever to appear on this website. The whole attraction to becoming a TikTok’er is to garner attention and fame. That they are doing so by posting very private parts of their lives could be seen as courageous or desperate, depending on your point of view. I doubt very much that posting about “ their journey” is actually helpful to people. It is basically a self directed tabloid aimed at gaining followers, praise and acceptance among a very limited echo chamber of self pity, grievance and self righteousness.
Cringe
Some people really have nothing better to do than to troll. It’s frigging Christmas, if you got nothing good to say, just keep it to yourselves. Good for this mom and son for rekindling themselves. If tiktok was their saving grace, so be it. Merry xmas, ya grinches
They’re mad cause Braden and his mom are winning in life and they’re not. It’s always the trash that tries to put you down, best is to ignore them ☺️
Losers of the year 🤔 😂
They have agreed (or perhaps requested) to be featured on this website, knowing full well that comments are allowed and even encouraged. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and to express their opinions as they see fit. NN gets most of their clicks because of the comments on each story. Perhaps comments will be closed if the subjects of this story request it due to the overall negative feedback, as seems to happen regularly with these types of woke, self aggrieved individuals (see recent story regarding resignation from Nutrition North board, and older stories about NTI which in commenters criticized the leadership).
geez, what a “gagmewithaspoon” story. Appears that the pair of them have terminal cases of ‘I’m special exhibitionism’. Is there a paid position at NN to cook up this ‘reality’ stuff?
Compassion for the lame ducks who follow them on TT
She calls it a healing journey? When you look back at her FB…there was never a hint of healing, lol she’s always been seeking attention, now she dresses in culture clothes and jog’s? Get real lady, and now your son shows us how women used to fix their hair? Their platforms have nothing to do with healing, I’d have a problem myself if I had grown up like him, can’t blame him, but good on you for becoming clean. When you watch her TT’s her other kid is so uncomfortable, watch his face, worst poker face, just tell your mother No Thanks!
Why is everyone so damn bitter on this website? You’re all crying and whining about a man and his mother on a healing journey together as if they were causing some sort of evil. You guys are pathetic LOL