There are four communities taking part in this year’s Hope walk; Hopedale, Nain, Postville and Makkovik.
We spoke to each of the Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) workers in all four communities.
Frances Boase is the MHA Worker for Hopedale.
She says they planned to leave Hopedale after 10 this morning, 15 people were signed up to go, according to a group picture only 12 showed.
They will walk to the Hopedale Healing Lodge located at Little Bay South; and are expected to make their way back Wednesday afternoon when they will be picked up by skidoo.
Boase, and Team Leader McKinley Winters, Michael Mitsuk the Youth Outreach worker and 2 guides will accompany them.
The Nain DHSD are also preparing for their Hope walk. We spoke with Rutie Lampe the Mental Health & Addictions Worker.
Lampe says right now there are 9 signed up but they hope to get 15-20 people.
The Hope walk is scheduled for April, 10, 11 and 12 and walkers will trek to Iggiak, which is south of Nain.
She says they will drive to the Ship Bridge, then walk half ways to Iggiak, and set up camp for the night.
They will continue their journey to Iggiak the next day, where they plan to do land base activities such as games, a camp fire and jigging.
Rutie Lampe, Susan Saksagiak and Elise Russell will be there from DHSD,
and DHSD is looking for guides and three more snowmobile drivers.
Lampe encourages anyone who is interested to put your name down; this is a great opportunity to have self healing on the land.
Postville and Makkovik are holding a joint Hope walk this April.
We spoke with Vyann Andersen who is the MHA worker from Postville.
She says the Hope Walk is scheduled to take place on April 12-13.
This walk is a walk for life and Hope stands for Hold–On–Pain-Ends.
Andersen says the participants will be meeting between the two communities, which are approximately 25 km outside of both communities.
The group will camp out for the night, and participants will have campfire tell stories, and have games.
For those not interested in camping out, community members are welcome to join the group for the evening and then meet back up again the next morning.
She says after a night in tent, the walkers will start the walk back to their community and participants are challenged to walk as far as they can; whether it’s a 1 km, 5 km, 10 kilometer or the whole way.
There will be drivers along the route for those that want to get a ride back home or need some water, for more information or to sign up, please contact Ashley Andersen in Makkovik at 923-2340 or Vyann Andersen in Postville at 479-9878.