“It is vitally important to the protection of Innu culture and our lands and waters that we engage our young people in opportunities like the UinipekᵘExpedition, now."
— Grand Chief Simon Pokue, Innu Nation
This summer, EleV partners Innu Nation and the Students on Ice Foundation set sail on their third annual Innu Uinipekᵘ (Ocean) Expedition. This innovative program gathers marine and coastal science research and Innu knowledge to inform the lands claim and major environmental management decisions by Innu Nation. A key focus of the expedition is to provide Innu youth from Sheshatshiu and Natuashish with the opportunity to contribute to this important scientific initiative while building skills and gaining the experience needed to pursue careers in land and marine stewardship. Running from June 27- July 15, the 2025 Uinipekᵘ Expedition brought Innu youth, Elders, Guardians, researchers, and educators on a journey from Sheshatshiu through Lake Melville and the Labrador Sea, exploring remote islands, bays, and marine ecosystems within Innu managed lands and waters along the coast to the Natuashish Marine Zone.
Youth interns were assigned to one of four education programs (Ocean Science, Underwater Technology, Land and Coastal Skills, and Storytelling and Media) designed to provide Innu youth with valuable hands-on experience in various kinds of scientific research and communications. Interns had the opportunity to support SCUBA dive surveys, collect and analyze water monitoring data, use Remotely Operated Vehicles to explore and record video of the seafloor, explore culturally and historically significant sites on land, use digital storytelling tactics to capture the journey, and more.
This partnership also supports Innu Nation in delivering year-round training in the communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish to further enhance land and marine stewardship skills to a broader network of Innu youth. This immersive initiative equips youth to strengthen and maintain Innu-led environmental stewardship efforts for future generations, and shows us what is possible when scientific research is guided by cultural knowledge.
Why It Matters:
Youth gain hands-on training in marine ecosystems while grounding their learning in Innu cultural knowledge
The expedition nurtures future stewards of Innu lands and waters, bridging community knowledge and science
Plans are underway to expand the expedition into long-term training in fields like marine biology, robotics, archaeology, and policy
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About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian Foundation and one of the world's largest foundations, with a mission to advance education and financial inclusion. It works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is an independent organization and separate from the company. Its policies, operations and programs are determined by the Foundation's Board of Directors and leadership. For more information please visit mastercardfdn.org.
