Ocean Pokue, a young individual from Sheshatshiu, is seen holding a starfish delicately in her hand.
Describing the sensation, Pokue compared it to “a worm coated in sugar,” expressing her excitement at the novel experience.
Participating in the Innu Nation’s Uinipeku Expedition, Pokue and other Innu youth encounter a series of first-time experiences.
Jenny Hurley, another participant from Sheshatshiu, echoes the sentiment, expressing her anticipation for new discoveries each day.
Now in its fourth year, the Uinipeku Expedition is an annual journey focused on ocean science research, traversing the Innu Nation marine zones between Sheshatshiu and Natuashish over approximately two and a half weeks.
Hosted on the MV Polar Athena, referred to as a “floating classroom and science lab,” the expedition accommodates researchers, educators from various organizations, including Students on Ice, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Innu Nation, alongside Innu elders, guardians, and youth participants.
Gioia Montevecchi, co-lead of the Uinipeku Expedition, emphasizes the program’s core objectives of ocean science and education.
Michael Hannaford, another co-lead, highlights the project’s origins in Innu Nation’s quest for scientific data related to conservation and economic prospects.
“The primary motivation was to gather knowledge about these areas and document them,” Hannaford explained.
Appreciating the Landscape Through Innu Youth’s Eyes
In late June, the Polar Athena docks near Amishku-Shipiss beach in Innu-Aimun, part of the Akami-Uapishk-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve.
Inside the ship’s main communal area on the fourth deck, researchers and youth casually observe underwater footage captured earlier that day.
A “floating classroom and science lab” has been sailing through Innu Nation marine zones this summer, carrying a crew full of Innu youth, scientists and educators. It’s all part of Innu Nation’s Uinipeku Expedition, now in its fourth year. After leaving Sheshatshiu, the expedition headed towards the Mealy Mountains. That’s where CBC reporter Andrea McGuire caught up with the group during a sunny day at the beach.
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