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Appreciating Difference -- Indigenous Mapping With Google MyMaps

Brian Thom, Anthropology, University of Victoria

Raleigh Seamster, Google

IGU-CAG-NCGE Meetings, Québec, 07-08 August 2018

Link to this presentation:

https://goo.gl/J1E4wd

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Coast Salish peoples of southwest British Columbia, Canada

Cowichan Tribes

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Itelmen Peoples, Kamchatka (Russia)

Cowichan Tribes

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Vital Indigenous landscapes ...

Roe Islet

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...are challenged by ongoing land and resource development

Hul’qumi’num peoples at the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (2007)

Stz’uminus First Nation challenge state licensing of geoduck fishery

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Historic land grants alienated territorial lands to private interests

E&N Railway Grant, 1884

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non-recognition of Indigenous peoples land rights at root of social problems

Ongoing housing crisis on Cowichan Reserve lands

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Indigenous knowledge holders continue to shape territorial decisions

Halalt First Nation leaders at Chemainus River estuary

Hul’qumi’num Elders guide Indigenous decision-making

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...and make powerful maps

Straits Salish Territories in Google Earth

Stz’uminus Elder Manny Sampson mapping with UVic EML’s Amy Becker

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Map Biographies in Google Earth

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Elders guiding Direct-to-Digital mapping in Google Earth

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digital mapping of indigenous land use & occupancy in Kamchatka, Russia

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https://sites.google.com/site/kamchatkamapping/karty---maps

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Significant Places mapping projects in Google MyMaps

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Grad student Amy Becker and Danny Elliott working on Stz’uminus Storied Places

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Stz’uminus Stories Places Project (https://goo.gl/ppaZ3a)

UVic Anth MA Student

Amy Becker &

Stz’uminus Youth

Coordinator

Shirley Louie

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Ethnographic Mapping in the Archives:

Two Houses Half-Buried in Sand

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Putting historic and ongoing land alienation in context

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clear-cutting on private lands held by forest companies

Clearcut on private forest lands, Stz’uminus territories (Ladysmith)

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Industrial softwood lumber extraction of private forest lands

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Sharing Google Earth Engine analysis in MyMaps?!

In a collaborative study (http://cicada.world) of the impact of private land development in indigenous peoples territories, we needed to share and give context to a subset of Hanson (et al )’s Google Earth Engine deforestation analysis.

Having the subset of data in MyMaps allowed us to easily share the GEE data in an easy-to-use website that team members were contributing to.

https://sites.google.com/site/htgcasestudy/forestry

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Private mining, oil and gas interests without free, prior & informed consent

State-regulated mineral extraction limit territorial access

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Extensive urban development in culturally vital coastal and valley lands

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Ongoing conflicts desecration and destruction of ancestral and sacred sites

Cowichan protest to protect Ye’yumnuts ancestral site

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Major projects triggering environmental assessment demand Indigenous action

Crofton Pulp Mill,

Chemainus Estuary

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Extensive wild marine harvesting closures from contaminants and private tenures

Contaminated shellfish harvest area at Sunuwnets

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freshwater licence & tenures without free, prior & informed consent

Halalt First Nation protest of groundwater extraction, 2010

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More MyMaps illustrating indigenous territorial challenges!

https://sites.google.com/view/htgcasestudy

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Addressing privacy, sharing sensitively

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Stz’uminus elders sharing their stories of the cultural landscape

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Keeping data obscure: network links in Google Earth Pro

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