Revisiting the Journey of Nishiyuu

The Journey of Nishiyuu was a life-changing experience not only for the handful of young Cree people who set out from their community to head towards Parliament Hill, but for the people watching around the world. Quebec's Travelling Journalist Marika Wheeler visited Whapmagoostui this spring, a year after what became known as the Journey of Nishyuu, to find out how that walk changed the lives of the people involved. 

When a group of young Cree set out on their journey in January, on foot, ready to weather the elements like their ancestors had generations before them, few thought they'd ever reach their goal.

But they did.

After walking 1,600 kilometers, from their village of Whapmagstooui, those young men and their guide walked into Ottawa and on to Parliament Hill at the end of March. Their journey had captured the attention of people all over the world. By the time they arrived their little group had grown to nearly 300 aboriginal youth...

The Journey of the Nishiyuu didn't only redirect the life of the young man who started it... It also prompted his nation to rethink how they use traditional healing in the modern world. We find out what it was like for the Nishiyuu walkers once they got home to the village of Whapmagstooui, where it all started.

Visit CBC Aboriginal's website for photos and videos.