For Communities
For Communities
For over a decade, Oceans North has been working in deep partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities across the Arctic and Atlantic to address the unprecedented environmental changes taking place in these regions. Many of these communities are inextricably intertwined with ocean ecosystems and are seeing them transform first hand.
Indigenous peoples have an intimate understanding of their environments, honed over millennia. Indigenous science and knowledge systems offer proven strategies for preserving ecosystems and mitigating climate change impacts. No one is better placed to safeguard lands and waters than the original inhabitants of those places. It is imperative that Indigenous peoples are at the forefront of efforts to protect them, both in Canada and around the world.
Tallurutiup Imanga
Located at the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage and recognized for its environmental and cultural importance, Tallurutiup Imanga is a region of spectacular fjords, jagged mountains, and tidewater glaciers. This area is home to Inuit who have long relied on its rich biological productivity.
Oceans North supported Inuit and the federal government signing an agreement to establish the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in 2019.
The North Water
The North Water Polynya, called Sarvarjuaq in Inuktitut and Pikialasorsuaq in Greenlandic, is one of the planet’s most productive ocean ecosystems, supporting an abundance of marine mammals, including narwhal, walrus, seals, and polar bears, as well as seabirds and a variety of fish. This biologically rich area is also home to an ice bridge that has facilitated movement and cultural exchange between Inuit in Greenland and Canada for generations.
Oceans North and its partner organization, Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat, are supporting the creation of an Inuit-led bilateral marine protected area in the North Water to protect its unique biodiversity and sustain the timeless cultural connection shared by the people of the region.
Pemsɨk
The Indigenous-led vision for Pemsɨk is a coordinated and collaborative conservation area in Southern Nova Scotia on the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq of Kespukwitik. This proposed Indigenous-led protected area brings together existing initiatives and addresses gaps in current terrestrial and marine protection. The vision of Pemsɨk combines traditional knowledge gathered through oral history with archaeological evidence and scientific knowledge to highlight the area’s cultural, ecological, and biological significance. Led by the Mi’kmaq, this effort will ensure the continued ability for Mi’kmaq to fish, hunt, gather, and live close to the land and water.
Western James Bay
In Cree culture and language, the land and sea covering western James Bay and southern Hudson Bay are called “the birthing place,” reflective of this area’s incredible ecological productivity. This diverse coastal ecosystem supports abundant wildlife, including beluga whales, walruses, seals, polar bears, brook trout, capelin, seabirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and plants like eel grass. Oceans North is partnering with the Mushkegowuk Council to create a large marine protected area in the Omushkego homelands that will safeguard this region’s rich biodiversity and the animals and plants Omushkego depend on.
Related Stories
Indigenous-led Conservation
The Cree Nation Government Advances Marine Protection in Eeyou Istchee
Read More
