Often these areas are not considered important for aquatic life but they are the best places to fish eels. Land activities, such as subdivision developments, can affect water by acting as a source of sediments that make blue water brown when it rains.

In Eskasoni, an important eel fishing and overwintering area was on the receiving end of sediments. UINR’s Tyson Paul recalls how brown the water would be after a light rainfall.  “We expect to see large volumes of brown, sediment-laden water after very heavy rainfalls,” he explained, “but we were seeing this even after showers.”

Sediments settle out of the water and can smother life on the bottom. Eel grass gets buried and fish gills become clogged. Aquatic plants can’t produce oxygen because sunlight doesn’t reach them. While eels like the soft bottom to burrow, their prey doesn’t. If there is no food for the eels, there will be no eels in the area.

In the fall of 2010, UINR met with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Nova Scotia Environment to discuss ways to fix the problem. In March 2011, 315 metres of ditch was re-created and lined with rock. To prevent flooding and uptake of sediments from the road, five culverts were re-aligned and one was replaced. Two outlets of riprap were created to help slow down the flow of water. The remediation was successful. It was found that the lining reduced sediments by 98% during light rainfall events.

UINR works with communities to promote practices that encourage people to be kind to nature. Shelley Denny is UINR’s Biologist and Research Coordinator. She believes that change is necessary. “Our actions on land are harming the beauty and quality of our water. After it rains, it takes longer for brown water to become clear and longer for eel fishers to put food on the table. Our actions affect our traditional way of life. To maintain traditional fishing areas, we need to change how we do things on land.”

The project is a model of how to do things differently in our community and make a positive affect on water quality. Funding was provided through Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program.

shelley.denny@uinr.ca

Area before remediation

One of the first things I want to point out is that our family does not wish to teach L’nu’s the English names for the plants. The reason for this is that we are trying to pass along the traditional knowledge and this includes “tan teluwisikl pisunk.” This is in keeping with the Pakosi story where Pakosi came to teach the L’nu’s about pisuns. Pakosi did not teach the L’nu the English common names for the pisuns.

Wisawtaqji’jkl: These small plants bloom in early spring and can be found in moist wooded forest floors. Look for the three leaves with slightly ragged edges and a slightly shiny green leaf. The easiest way to identify this plant is looking for the Wjip’sk (root). Pull up the moss, turn it over and look for the wataptek (yellow) wjip’sk. Our family harvests the plants near a sipu (creek) and can be harvested at any time you need it.

We use it as eyewash, to clean wounds, skin lotion (mixed with other pisuns in bear fat or bees wax) for eczema and other skin conditions. We also used it for ulcers (around the mouth such as cold sores) and for gastric ulcers. We also combined it with other pisuns to help folks that are going through a rough time with the urge to drink alcohol. It takes away the urge to drink (good for those in 12-step programs).

Wjkulje’manaqsi: The best time to find this pisun is early spring before the leaves are out but it is not difficult to find. The easiest way to identify it is to look for the bright red bark on the stems of the bush. It grows along the edges of brooks, streams, meadows and ditches. The flowers are white and may be arranged in a four pattern around the leaves. The bark is used as a mixture in tobacco ties, tobacco offerings and other rituals. It is often mixed with other pisuns to create “Kinnikinnik.” We have used it for headache, sore throat and sore eyes and to remove mucous from the lungs.

Wso’qmanl: This is a fairly common small plant that grows in the wooded forest floor. It is readily identified by a bunch of red berries. However, during the middle of spring, the flowers are very small and the sepals are often mistaken as white flowers (four pattern). It is used as a pisun for wejipilkwet wen (seizures). There is no set time for harvest but often we wait until the berries are ripe to gather it. The berries can be eaten but have little taste.

photo by Carol Kennedy

Ask Heather Green about Kluskap’s Cave and prepare yourself to be transported to another time and place…a place where giants roamed the earth with powers that make today’s super heroes look weak by comparison. What is this fourth-year history major at CBU doing? Heather is working on an internship research project for UINR with our partners Parks Canada and Cape Breton University.

Heather’s research of literature on Kluskap brought her to manuscripts from the early 1850s in which missionary Silas T. Rand’s first written account of Mi’kmaq creation legends appears. She followed the thread of history to more contemporary accounts of Kluskap and his relationship between the Mi’kmaq people and the land. Heather explains, “We are looking at the overall cultural landscape of Kluskap’s Cave and what makes this area significant to the Mi’kmaq and how it encapsulates Mi’kmaq world-view.

“This is a project that means something to a lot of people. For me it has led to a new respect for the landscape, an understanding of how the traditional use of the land was reflected in Kluskap’s legends and influenced how people hunt, fish, gather and migrate.”

Kluskap’s Cave is located at Cape Dauphin on Kluskap (Kelly’s) Mountain. The trail to the “Fairy Hole” is not difficult for the average hiker, but there are challenges including a 100 foot descent to the mountain stream. Follow the trail to the stream and follow the stream to the shore. When you get to the beach you can see Bird Islands and Kluskap’s Cave. The cave is difficult to get into, so unless you are a seasoned climber you might prefer to sit outside on the rocks and have a picnic. If you do decide to scale the slippery rocks to the cave’s opening–be careful.

photo by Paul Weinberg

Kluscap was sent by the Creator as a friend for the Mi’kmaq people. He lived at Cape Dauphin and one day two women laughed at him from the shore. Kluscap jumped from his canoe breaking it into two pieces, known today as Bird Islands. He turned the two women to stone, the stone pillars now guarding his cave. The cave was Kluskap’s last home on earth before he left to the sky world. He lived there with his Grandmother,The Bear Woman, and a young man, Pine Marten. Kluscap’s many skills included his ability to disguise himself so that he could involve himself in a situation in order to teach a lesson in morals or values.

For more information please contact Angela Morris 379-2369 angela@uinr.ca or Shelley Denny 379-2022 shelley.denny@uinr.ca

Another St. Anne’s Mission has come and gone and, thanks to the dedication of the teams of workers organized by the Pitu’paq partnership, it was cleaner both during the Mission and afterwards.

Once again, students from the Nova Scotia Youth Corps were involved in the recycling and waste disposal program. They worked weeks before the Mission began to get the site ready, clearing debris and sprucing up the Island and putting a recycling program in place. Boatload after boatload of garbage was removed from the Island to be properly disposed of.

This year, there was also a forestry program in place that removed diseased and fallen trees from the Sacred Path, service roads and cabins.

UINR’s Laurie Suitor co-ordinated the project, organizing the Youth Corps team, other students from Chapel Island and staff provided by Membertou, Eskasoni and Chapel Island: This year was quite a challenge. Thanks to all the teams that worked tirelsessly to make sure we achieved all our targets and to all of the companies and people who donated goods, services and funding to the success. A special thanks to Nova Scotia Environment, Parks Canada and the Aboriginal Forestry Program for assisting us with funding and, of course, the Pitu’paq partnership.

laurie@uinr.ca

Unama’KIDS got off to a productive start this year participating in the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. They joined nearly 60,000 volunteers from across the country who helped clean up almost 1,600 different sites.

While picking up debris and garbage along the Whycocomagh shoreline, they counted every piece of garbage and catalogued it to add to the cross-country totals. They found everything from cigarette butts to plastic hose, styrofoam cups and plastic bags. While all the totals aren’t in yet, last year participants removed 135,467 kg of litter from shorelines across the country!

The shoreline cleanup gave Unama’KIDS a chance to be a part of an activity that has a real, measurable effect on the environment. Unama’KIDS Coordinator, Serena Paul explains: The cleanup was more than just collecting trash, is was a great example of communities working together to create solutions that ensure our oceans and waterways are kept clean.

Next year, we hope to expand the cleanup to other Unama’ki communities and involve whole classes in the activity. It’s a great way to spend a beautiful fall day by the Bras d’Or Lakes, helping make a cleaner environment.

serena@uinr.ca

Cape Breton Explorations Ltd.’s plan to erect up to 44 wind turbines has passed the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s zoning process. This approval includes pumping water from Lake Uist to a reservoir constructed a mile away in the bog on the top of the mountain. There was some opposition to the project expressed at the Council meeting that approved the re-zoning, and a First Nations’ request to be included in the process was considered unnecessary. The re-zoning clears the way for the proponent to clearcut the area and do preliminary work on the project before environmental assessment.

There are concerns that depletion of Lake Uist could result in warming of the waters, leading to algae blooms and a possible anoxic state. Lake Uist is the headwaters for Loch Lomond Lake and Grand River, as well as many small brooks and streams.

Residents have raised concerns that similar projects in the US have had serious consequences, one with repeated breakdowns of the penstock, and the other resulting in a major tragedy when a computer error caused the turbine to keep pumping water up to the reservoir even though it was full, resulting in a 25′ wave that destroyed the forests below and flooded homes.

The site of the proposed reservoir is in a bog on the top of the mountain. It would be two kilometres long, one kilometre wide and about 75 metres deep–the largest “dug” lake in North America. Studies have shown that flooding in a bog area causes the release of a form of mercury, held in the bog, that could contaminate the entire waterway. Backflow is not uncommon with these systems, and could cause a substantial backflow into the Bras d’Or Lakes.

Power from this project will be sold to New England and other US markets and, while available for Nova Scotia Power to purchase, the utility cannot presently use large amounts of power because of technology constraints.

Mi’kmaq concerns, environmental realities, community members fears, and the impact on the adjoining Richmond County environment are issues of concern in the proposed development.

laurie@uinr.ca

From UINR Marten – Vol.3. Issue.4 – Winter 2007

Garbage is a concern in every community and Eskasoni’s is major. At first, the problem seemed insurmountable. Then they came up with the Spring Cleanup Derby involving the whole community. Nearly 450 residents participated, collecting over 3000 bags of garbage in only two days!

Prizes were added incentive. The adults’ grand prize of a 37-inch LCD TV went to Peter Denny who collected 125 bags. The kids’ grand prize of a giant waterslide went to Byson Young. Honourable mention must also go to Joe Allan Francis and Joe Marshall who each collected over 100 bags. All the bags collected went to Guysborough to be incinerated.

A Tire Rally was also held, where people could drop off tires for recycling. Tommy Simon donated his tire de-rimmer and the team took off 200 rims in two days. 1845 tires were hauled away for recycling by Morris Trucking.

Through these efforts, the team has identified illegal dumping areas as a major concern, with Mountain Road as a prime example of putting the community at risk. Through public awareness, the team hopes to stop illegal dumping in Eskasoni with everyone taking responsibility for their own garbage and disposing of it properly.

George Paul sums it all up, “We practice our rights, let’s practice our ways, be responsible, please do not litter.”

From UINR Marten – Vol.3. Issue.2 – Summer 2007