Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources facts for kids
The Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) is a special group that helps take care of nature. It's located in Eskasoni, a Mi'kmaq community on Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island), Nova Scotia, Canada. UINR is a non-profit organization, which means it works to help people and the environment, not to make money.
UINR helps five Mi'kmaq communities in Unama'ki: Eskasoni, Membertou, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, and Waycobah. Since it started in 1999, the leaders of these five communities, called Chiefs, have been on UINR's Board of Directors.
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Protecting Nature in Unama'ki
UINR is in charge of looking after the natural resources and environmental issues in Cape Breton. Natural resources are things like forests, water, and animals that come from nature. Environmental issues are problems that affect our planet, like pollution.
What UINR Does
UINR has many important jobs. They help educate people about fishing and forestry, which is about managing forests. They also make sure rules are followed for how we use these resources.
Other things UINR focuses on include:
- Studying water and helping keep it clean.
- Managing local plants and animals.
- Using traditional Mi’kmaq knowledge to protect nature.
- Looking after protected areas.
- Checking the quality of water.
- Working with other groups to protect the environment.
Netukulimk: A Guiding Idea
A very important idea guides all of UINR's work. It's called Netukulimk. This is a Mi'kmaq word that means 'sustainability'.
Sustainability is about using what we need from nature today without harming it for the future. It means making sure communities have enough food and a good life, while keeping the environment healthy and full of life.
How UINR Works
UINR is special because it combines modern scientific research with traditional Mi'kmaq knowledge. This mix helps them understand and protect nature in a unique way.
UINR also works with many other groups. They have agreements, called Memorandum of Understandings, with organizations like Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This helps them work together for a healthier environment.
UINR's Main Goals
UINR has three main goals, as stated on their website:
- Governance: This means helping Mi’kmaq people have an equal say in how natural resources are managed. They create networks to support this and make sure rules are followed.
- Two-Eyed Seeing: This is about making Mi’kmaq research and natural resource management stronger. It means looking at things from both traditional Mi’kmaq ways and modern scientific ways.
- Partnerships: This simply means working with other groups who want to protect natural resources. By working together, they can make sure nature is safe for future generations.
