Week 15.pptx

Countermapping and Indigenous Peoples WEEK 15 Countermapping and Indigenous Peoples This presentation explores the concept of countermapping, a process by which indigenous communities challenge dominant narratives and representations of their lands and territories through the creation of the...

Countermapping and Indigenous Peoples WEEK 15 Countermapping and Indigenous Peoples This presentation explores the concept of countermapping, a process by which indigenous communities challenge dominant narratives and representations of their lands and territories through the creation of their own maps and spatial knowledge.  What is Countermapping? Indigenous-led cartography Documenting traditional knowledge Countermapping is the process of Indigenous Countermapping enables Indigenous communities to communities creating their own maps to challenge record and preserve their traditional land-use official, state-produced maps that often misrepresent practices, cultural sites, and other important or erase their lands and practices. information that is often absent from official maps. Reclaiming territorial sovereignty Countermapping allows Indigenous communities to Challenging colonial narratives assert their rights and sovereignty over their ancestral By creating their own maps, Indigenous communities lands, which are often overlooked or misrepresented in can challenge the dominant, colonial narratives that conventional maps. have historically marginalized and misrepresented their presence and land rights. Countermapping is a powerful tool for Indigenous communities to assert their territorial sovereignty, document their traditional knowledge, and challenge the colonial narratives that have long excluded them from mainstream cartography.  Reborderings and Fire Management Indigenous communities across the world have long used countermapping, the practice of creating their own maps to assert territorial boundaries and traditional land management practices, such as controlled burning techniques for fire management. These communities use countermapping to document and preserve their cultural knowledge and land use patterns, which often differ from official government maps.  Producing Authenticities Challenging Dominant Narratives Creating 'Authentic' Reclaiming Territorial Cartographies Sovereignty Countermapping allows Indigenous Indigenous communities use Countermapping enables Indigenous communities to create their own countermapping to produce their own communities to reclaim their territorial representations of their landscapes, 'authentic' cartographies, reflecting their sovereignty and assert their rights over their challenging the dominant narratives lived experiences, traditional knowledge, ancestral lands, which may have been imposed by colonial or mainstream and worldviews. overlooked or misrepresented in dominant cartography. maps. Preserving Cultural Identities Empowering Indigenous Voices The process of countermapping helps Indigenous communities Countermapping provides a platform for Indigenous communities to preserve and transmit their cultural identities, traditions, and amplify their voices, stories, and perspectives, challenging the connection to the land, which can be threatened by dominant hegemony of mainstream cartography and centralizing their lived narratives and representations. experiences.  Cartography, Territory, and Property Dismantling Cartographic Power Structures Restoring Indigenous Land Ownership Reclaiming Spatial Sovereignty Empowering Community-Based Mapping  Inuit Circumpolar Council The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) is an international non- governmental organization that represents the Inuit people of the Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. The ICC was founded in 1977 to promote and protect the rights and interests of the Inuit people, and to ensure their sustainable development and the protection of the Arctic environment.  The Significance of Countermapping Reclaiming Land Ownership Challenging Colonial Narratives Countermapping allows Indigenous communities to Countermapping projects provide a platform for document their historical and traditional land use, Indigenous communities to counter the dominant, often challenging dominant narratives and asserting their colonial, representations of their landscapes and rightful claim to ancestral territories. territories. Preserving Cultural Practices Strengthening Community Resilience By mapping their sacred sites, hunting grounds, and The process of countermapping fosters community other culturally significant areas, Indigenous engagement, knowledge sharing, and the communities can protect and maintain their traditional empowerment of Indigenous peoples, reinforcing their ways of life. resilience and self-determination.  Challenges and Limitations Percentage of Indigenous communities facing resource challenges for countermapping efforts 83% 78% 72 % 65 Funding limitations % Lack of technical expertise Limited data access Time constraints  The Future of Countermapping Amplifying Indigenous Democratization of Strengthening Self- Collaborative Mapping Narratives Geospatial Tools Determination Approaches The increasing accessibility of Countermapping enables The ability to create and control Emerging collaborative mapping digital technologies and Indigenous communities to their own maps allows approaches, where Indigenous geospatial tools, such as create their own spatial Indigenous communities to communities work alongside geographic information systems representations, giving them a assert their sovereignty, land researchers, activists, and (GIS), remote sensing, and GPS, platform to articulate their rights, and self-determination, policymakers, foster inclusive has empowered Indigenous perspectives, histories, and challenging the dominant and participatory processes that communities to engage in aspirations, which are often narratives and power structures lead to more nuanced and countermapping practices more underrepresented or that have historically empowering representations of effectively. misrepresented in mainstream marginalized them. Indigenous lands and cartography. landscapes.