You are browsing the archives of 2008 March.

The coltsfoot are flowering, the robins are returning, and the smelt are in the brooks! Siwkw was a time when Mi’kmaq families gathered together their belongings and moved to the coast, relying on the resources of the lakes, rivers, and streams for their livelihood. Besides the plentiful resources of the sea, summer camps were more [...]

From UINR Marten – Vol.4. Issue.1 – Spring 2008

Eagles on the Bras d’Or Story by Chief Charlie Dennis This is a personal observation from information gathered over the years while talking to some of the hunters from Unama’ki. Hunters observe that the number of eagle feathers found along the shoreline around the Bras d’Or Lakes have declined. Most of the eagle feathers that [...]

Mark MacPhail is UINR’s  Director of Forestry. Mark oversees the daily operations of our forestry contractors. Everything from planning and laying out the areas for harvest, supervising the jobs, and ensuring all environmental concerns are met while meeting UINR’s production quota. Mark also supervises all private land silviculture operations in Cape Breton and Victoria counties. [...]

If forestry is your interest, you won’t want to miss this conference. Internationally renowned speakers, forestry experts, Mi’kmaq Elders, and  industry leaders are meeting to take an in-depth look at the state of hardwood forest management in today’s Acadian forests. UINR in partnership with Nova Forest Alliance, will be announcing details on our website. From [...]

You can tie a yellow ribbon ’round it, bask in its shade or eventually have flooring for your grandchildren’s living room. UINR is giving away free Mimkwonmooseel (Red Oak, Quercus rubra L.) tree planting kits throughout the spring. Complete with planting instructions, a Red Oak acorn for planting, and a peat pellet–all you need to [...]

In this and future issues, we will introduce you to the people behind Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources. In this issue we feature Albert Marshall, Elder Advisor. Albert is the leading environmental voice in Unama’ki Cape Breton. He is advisor to the UINR Board of Directors and is a highly regarded spokesperson for Mi’kmaq natural [...]

This year, UINR will be awarding $15,000 in scholarships to deserving Mi’kmaq students in Unama’ki. Every year, UINR awards scholarships to students who are pursuing studies in Science or Forestry-related fields. Along with our partners, NewPage and Georgia Pacific, UINR’s scholarships support Mi’kmaq students from the five Unama’ki communities. The Georgia Pacific and UINR Scholarships [...]

Organized Youth Hunts There is a lot of work and responsibility involved in a moose harvest, and it takes great effort to ensure our youth are taught these things in a proper way. The Millbrook Youth Hunt has been setting the standard for Mi’kmaq communities with successful harvests in the last several years. Moose meat [...]

The Pitu’paq partnership continues to work diligently on issues of environmental concern. Of increasing interest to the partnership is the health of freshwater systems. Although our planet is covered with water over ¾ of its surface area, less than 1% of that water is available to us in the form of accessible fresh water. As [...]

In the Mi’kmaq legend of Kluskap and the giant bullfrog, the source of water is from the belly of the frog. Kluskap identified the frog as the culprit who was hoarding the village’s water and squeezing it, he was able to release the community’s water supply. Sometimes, legend has a way of being confirmed in [...]

Here are two guys that you can’t miss seeing walking around the Coast Guard College in Point Edward! Phillip Prosper, 33 and Tim Cremo, 32 are the first Unama’ki Mi’kmaq Natural Resources Officers to be accepted in a new pilot program, a collaboration between UINR and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The new [...]