Lives worth protecting.

Unama’ki Peacekeepers

Services Contact

Through Trust, Culture, and Connection

Supporting Safer Communities

Unama’ki Wantoqo’tikewinu’k (Unama’ki Peacekeeper) is an Indigenous-led community safety and wellness initiative serving Mi'kmaw communities across Unama'ki (Cape Breton). Our Peacekeepers provide a trusted, culturally grounded presence during difficult situations, helping people access support before challenges become crises.

We work with individuals, families, communities, and partner organizations to strengthen safety, encourage respectful communication, and build lasting relationships based on trust.

How do we keep our peeple safe while honouring who we are as Mi'kmaq?

Why We Do This Work

Communities are facing increasing challenges related to mental health, substance use, family conflict, and youth wellbeing. Often, what is needed first is someone who can listen, reduce tension, and help people find the right path forward.

That is the role of Unama’ki Wantoqo’tikewinu’k.

Grounded in Mi'kmaw values and guided by prevention, our Peacekeepers offer calm, respectful support while working alongside community leadership, health services, and emergency responders.

Working Together for Safer, Stronger Communities

Our Services

Our Peacekeepers provide support through:

  • Early intervention and crisis de-escalation
  • Community patrols and safety presence
  • Wellness checks and transportation support
  • Mental health and substance use response
  • Conflict resolution and mediation
  • Referrals and connections to community services
  • Community education and prevention initiatives

Our work complements existing community, health, and emergency services. We are not a policing or enforcement agency, and we do not replace emergency responders.

Guided by Mi'kmaw Values

Everything we do is rooted in respect, cultural understanding, and responsibility to one another. Our work is guided by:

  • Respect and dignity
  • Cultural grounding
  • Prevention and early response
  • Trauma-informed practice
  • Community wellbeing
  • Collaboration and accountability

These values shape every interaction and every decision we make.

Working Together

We believe community safety is a shared responsibility. Unama’ki Wantoqo’tikewinu’k seeks to work respectfully alongside Mi’kmaw communities, health and wellness providers, emergency services, justice partners, community organizations, and government agencies.

Our role is to complement existing services by supporting prevention, de-escalation, community presence, communication, and connections to appropriate supports.

Who We Work With

Mi’kmaw Communities and Leadership:

Supporting community-defined safety, wellness, prevention, and response priorities.

Health, Mental Wellness and Recovery Services:

Strengthening referrals, communication, and connections to health care, mental health, substance use, recovery, and wellness supports.

Police, Emergency and Justice Services:

Supporting clear communication and culturally informed coordination with the RCMP, municipal police, EHS, fire services, justice partners, and other emergency responders, within clearly defined operational boundaries.

Child, Youth and Family Services:Police, Emergency and Justice Services:

Supporting communication and coordinated responses involving children, youth, families, and individuals experiencing vulnerability.

Search and Rescue and Community Safety Partners: Police, Emergency and Justice Services:

Collaborating, within UW’s approved role, during search and rescue, missing-person, emergency-preparedness, and community safety situations.

Community Organizations and Service Providers:

Working together on outreach, referrals, youth support, training, prevention, transportation, and community wellness initiatives.

Government and Funding Partners:

Exploring opportunities to support pilot projects, service development, training, evaluation, and long-term sustainability.

Our Approach to Partnership

We approach every partnership with respect for community leadership, existing responsibilities, cultural knowledge, privacy, and clearly defined roles.

Contact Us

We welcome conversations with communities, organizations, service providers, and agencies interested in culturally grounded approaches to community safety and well-being.