by Charlie Dennis For many years, my good friend Gabriel, or Kaplie’l in Mi’kmaq, fished oysters in Malagawatch Pond. I met Kaplie’l back in the late 1950s. My grandparents and dad used to go to Malagawatch for a visit or get supplies of white maple and poplar for basket making. Kaplie’l and his brother Sa’n … Read More
UINR’s resident cartoonist and financial guardian, Annie Johnson, recently attended the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association (AFOA) National Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba (yes, Winnipeg, in February, -45 degree windchill). Although cold, it was a wonderful learning experience, bringing together aboriginal financial officers from all across the country and offering workshops for all levels of learning, from … Read More
Not likely. All these species are at risk of extinction in Unama’ki. Species at Risk are animals, plants, and other organisms that are at serious risk of extinction, usually due to human activities which pose a threat to the species or their habitat. In Nova Scotia today there are over ten thousand wildlife species: 5 … Read More
Eskasoni resident Blair Bernard has joined UINR as coordinator of our Natural Resource Officer (NRO) Program. Blair is responsible for establishing the program’s goals and setting up an aboriginal food fishery. UINR’s goals for the NRO Program are to develop a strong coordination role and regulatory authority, and negotiate strong training agreements while developing meaningful … Read More
UINR has taken on the responsibility of creating a moose management plan. UINR, representing the five Mi’kmaq communities of Unama’ki, is mandated to implement this plan with the support of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council and the Unama’ki Council of Elders. Further development and long-term acceptance of this initiative is supported by Mi’kmaq leadership and by … Read More
The Upcoming Chapel Island Mission is the hot button topic with Pitu’paq this spring. From bottled water to port-a-potties, the environmental issues for the tiny island and the surrounding Bras d’Or Lakes are being addressed. Pitu’paq deals with the most immediate concerns of this year’s Mission while planning for a future where there will be … Read More
Chief Wilbert Marshall and Chief Executive Officer Lindsay Marshall of Potlotek First Nations are working on an ambitious plan to put Potlotek on the Green map! And they don’t plan to stop there. They intend to share their green vision with other Mi’kmaq communities and build their capacity to export their services and expertise. The … Read More
In the Mi’kmaq Nation, the wtisi, or nest, is particularly symbolic of the eagle. Eagles are monogamous and the nest is a place for both adult and young together. The nest provides a safe place to be nourished and develop. However, the nest must be strong, with good resources, to withstand the pressures around it. … Read More
UINR is working on a video documentary about oysters in the Bras d’Or Lakes and the MSX parasite. We will not be documenting this appearance as an isolated event. We expect that the documentary may well end up being a lesson for the future about sustainable human economic activity in the Bras d’Or Lakes. This … Read More
A Plamu (salmon) workshop is scheduled for June 28/29 in Wagmatcook. This workshop will bring together salmon fishermen of all stripes, enforcement personnel from various agencies, and some fisheries scientists to identify the components of a management plan for the Atlantic Salmon in Cape Breton. It is hoped that bringing stakeholders of all groups together … Read More
Shelley Porter has joined UINR as the Bras d’Or Lakes Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative (CEPI) coordinator. CEPI was initiated by Mi’kmaq to bring partners together to work collaboratively on solving environmental challenges in the Bras d’Or Lakes and to develop comprehensive environmental management plan for the Bras d’Or Lakes. CEPI blends First Nation knowledge, approaches … Read More
Watch for updates on the development of a Mi’kmaq Youth Elder Council. A planning session sponsored by UINR and Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK ) brings together Nova Scotian Mi’kmaq youth and elders to respond to issues surrounding land, resources, and governance. The Youth Elder Council will provide a mechanism by which traditional knowledge of the Elders … Read More