Rethinking Maps to Include Indigenous Perspectives

Scientists at COLSA are examining how our modern maps, which are used not just for navigation but also for research, land management and development, may not be showing the full picture of our landscapes — and how including indigenous knowledge and perspectives can support meaningful collaboration between tribal nations and land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service.

Kristin Green, UNH natural resources and Earth systems science doctoral student, and Teresa Cavazos Cohn, associate professor of natural resources and the environment, previously worked with Nez Perce tribal members to create maps that include sites of water quality significance. At UNH, Green and Cohn plan to develop a guide for assessing and developing maps that could foster more effective consultation with indigenous groups about national forest planning across the country — work that aligns with the federal government’s increased efforts in recent years to include indigenous tribes in designing land management and forest planning practices.

The project is based on an indigenous research methodology called TwoEyed Seeing, a collaborative strategy for engaging and respecting both indigenous and Western worldviews.

“Two-Eyed Seeing allows for true collaboration where folks can work from different perspectives in a way that’s fruitful and respectful,” says Green.