On 16 January 2013, six young men from the community of Whapmagoostui, situated at the mouth of the Great Whale River in Northern Quebec, set out on an epic walk to Ottawa.
Led by an experienced guide, they walked 1600 km and arrived in Ottawa on March 25, 2013, to be met by a large crowd of supporters, a rally and a huge round dance.
[2] Seventeen-year-old David Kawapit, of Whapmagoostui, initiated the walk in support of Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation, who was at the time staging a hunger strike at Victoria Island.
[3] The original seven, traveling cross-country on snowshoes, visited the communities of Chisasibi, Wemindji, Eastmain, Waskaganish and Kitigan Zibi, among others.
Instead of remaining at Parliament to greet the walkers, Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper made a last-minute decision to travel to the Toronto Zoo to be photographed with two pandas, earning criticism.