Pair hiking 130 kms across Nunavut to empower others

Kevin Tikivik and Raphaëlle Lavigne headed out from Kimmirut, Nunavut, on Wednesday to begin a 130-kilometre trek to Iqaluit.

The pair plans on documenting the wet, rocky trip through rivers, mountains and tundra, and sharing it with others on Facebook.

"It's beautiful because I get to show my community to Raphaëlle," Tikivik said.

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He said the adventure has been years in the making. 

"I always had a romantic idea of my ancestors and how they lived off the land. When I was a young boy I always imagined doing this walk," he said.

Lavigne said from the time they met, Tikivik has talked about doing this hike.

"I also grew up pretty outdoorsy with my family ... as he talked about it, I was like 'yeah, for sure, let's do it,'" she said.

'Get out there and do stuff,' says Tikivik

For Tikivik the journey is more than just an incredible adventure, it's also about starting a positive conversation about what Inuit can accomplish.

He has been working with healing centres across Canada, and works as a coordinator for the Puttautiit suicide prevention conference.

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"I just want to motivate people in the North to do the best that they can and understand that there are people watching who care about you and we need to embrace each other, bring each other up," he said.

"Get out there and do stuff."

A 10-day trip takes a lot of planning. The pair said they made and dried enough food for nearly two weeks, pored over maps and used a global positioning system to plan the route. They are also planning to talk with hunters along the way.

"There is no better way of knowing someone and knowing communities than being on the land," Lavigne said.

With files from Qavavao Peter