Margaret Pearce
With permission from the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people, this map provides place names and marks locations of their gathering places, communities, places where the treaties were signed, territorial rights, among others. It also provides descriptions of the shapes and sounds of sovereign lands.
Developed with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, this project centres Indigenous sovereignty and offers a counter-narrative to colonial mappings, showing the cultural specificity and layered history of these lands.• Tech Literacy & Accessibility: By mapping Indigenous place names, the project promotes tech literacy within Indigenous communities and among the public, bridging digital mapping technology with Indigenous knowledge systems. It provides an accessible format that allows users to learn directly from Indigenous worldviews, shaping a more nuanced understanding of Canada’s geography.• Reducing Harm in New Media: Restoring Indigenous place names combats erasure by acknowledging the linguistic and cultural meanings of lands. This respect for Indigenous naming traditions counters the dispossession often implicit in colonial cartography, supporting Indigenous authority over geographic narratives.• Data & Knowledge Stewardship: By placing control over these names and descriptions with Indigenous communities, the map ensures that knowledge remains protected by those it belongs to. This form of stewardship ensures that the preservation of place names respects the cultural and political rights of Indigenous nations, providing a lasting resource that honours the community-defined context.
How does Coming Home reframe digital mapping as a culturally rooted practice, emphasizing Indigenous knowledge? What insights can be drawn about rethinking technology beyond extractive models?What accessibility measures might support wider engagement with this map, and how can these efforts aid in harm reduction by accurately conveying Indigenous histories?In what ways does this project challenge erasure by restoring Indigenous place names, and how can cultural organizations integrate similar harm reduction approaches in their work?How does Coming Home exemplify data stewardship by keeping Indigenous knowledge within community control?