Braden Kadlun’s visionary voice

Braden Kadlun, originally from Kugluktuk and named one of TikTok’s Indigenous Visionary Voices for 2024, began making videos two and a half years ago to share his Inuit heritage and personal journey.

He started doing it to encourage his mother, Hovak, who he says is an incredible advocate for the revival of Inuit tattoos.

“I really pushed her to join the platform to share her knowledge. She was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. Only if you do it with me.’ So I was a little hesitant at first, but then she and my fiancée were like, ‘You need to share your journey to sobriety.’ I had been sober for two years at the time, and they said, ‘You should share your journey to sobriety and our culture on your own page.’ I was a little hesitant, but I ended up creating my own page until we got to where we are now.”

Discussing his journey with addiction and sobriety, he said it was about “showing that it’s OK to be yourself. There are a lot of hardships that come with sobriety, but there are also a lot of good things that come with embarking on the path to healing… There’s a lot of negativity associated with sobriety and addiction, but we don’t often focus on the positive aspects of it.”

Kadlun, who lives in Calgary, shares in a video how he took time off from his undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary to deal with his health issues, which include a diagnosis of bipolar II, post-traumatic stress disorder and Kennedy syndrome, a neurological muscle disorder that, while quite rare, disproportionately affects Indigenous men. In the video, he emphasizes that taking the time to heal and take control of your life is a strength, rather than the traditional “failure” that is sometimes associated with it. Kadlun is now back on track to complete his philosophy degree and hopes to pursue graduate studies.

“I just wanted to destigmatize a lot of these mental health issues. Even though I have bipolar II disorder, I can still live a full and successful life. There is hope. I wanted to encourage others who may be looking for answers in their own lives to find that courage…I hope that maybe my story can be a blueprint for others to start their own path to healing.”

Many of Kadlun’s videos feature his mother, whether enjoying country food together (which is often), filming dance videos in Iqaluit, or showing off the sealskin parka Hovak made for her son that has caused so much controversy online.

“I just want to get the message across to Inuit kids out there that it’s OK to eat their food and be proud of where they come from. There’s a lot of curiosity and a lot of negativity about the traditional Inuit diet… sometimes it’s hard not to focus on the negativity, but there’s a lot of demonization of Inuit practices like seal hunting and seal skins and the way we use them, but that comes from a place of misunderstanding. It doesn’t take into account that Inuit have been doing this for thousands of years. It’s our way of life and we’re an integral part of the ecosystem. To dissuade us from that throws it out of balance. Inuit voices need to be heard and listened to. It’s important that governments take that into account when making policy.”

Kadlun’s goals for the future are to continue to share his journey and his “authentic self, just my everyday life and what it looks like… the good and the bad… there’s a lot of love and support in what we do, curiosity that comes from a good desire to learn. I’m really grateful for all of that. The videos of me and my mom get a lot of love; there’s a lot of kindness and support. How great is it to see a positive relationship between a mother and son? As for negativity, there’s quite a lot of racism, especially in terms of our food and the raw meat we eat.”

Kadlun travels north for workshops and intends to “keep making videos wherever I go… I focus on what I can do at the moment.”

On being named a TikTok Indigenous Visionary Voice for 2024, especially in time for National Indigenous Month, Kadlun commented: “It’s an incredible honor. I’m so grateful to be part of this list. There are a lot of amazing creators on this list, it’s incredible to be represented among them.”

With Nunavut Day fast approaching, Kadlun noted, “For me, Nunavut Day is a celebration of Inuit and how far we have come as a people. It is a beautiful day to celebrate a big part of our homeland and heritage.”

His message to Inuit youth is: “Know that you are good enough and that you are beautiful just the way you are. Express your true self. Learn about your roots and your origins and learn to love them.”

Kira Wronska Dorward, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News