The Geospatial West: Georectifying Historical Native American Space

Using an 1801 map of the Upper Missouri sketched by a Blackfoot man as a starting point, Jen Andrella discusses new perspectives on digital mapping:

"... when we discuss the “West” as a distinctive region, it often reaffirms and legitimizes the space in a colonial framework. Historical maps are not generally conducive to Indigenous interpretations and representations, despite the frequent reliance on Indigenous knowledge to produce them in the first place. Reconsidering the production and meaning of Native American geographies, spaces, and landscapes can initiate positive change in how the “West” is conceptualized in both research and teaching.

Such avenues have been recently explored using digital humanities methods, but the extent to which digital tools and skills are employed can either transform or reinforce these traditional perceptions just the same."

Source: "The Geospatial West: Georectifying Historical Native American Space," Cultural Heritage Informatics Initiative, November 21, 2019, http://chi.anthropology.msu.edu/2019/11/the-geospatial-west-georectifying-historical-native-american-space/