CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Margiotta, Carmen |
|---|---|
| Title | Mirroring Strength Back to the Community: the Role of Participatory Mapping in Documenting Territories of Importance and Past and Present Land-Use Practices of Indigenous Communities. Lessons from the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Summary | As concerns for the changing climate and its consequences on the environment grow, researchers have increasingly turned to the long-ignored and long-silenced land-based knowledge of Indigenous peoples. For the most part transmitted orally, the Ecological Knowledge of many Indigenous Peoples is being lost at an alarming rate, prompting researchers and practitioners alike to find ways to preserve it. Participatory mapping represents a relevant research method to maintain Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and to fully capture Indigenous people’s relationships with the land. Using participatory mapping, this research aims to answer to a need raised by the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, whilst at the same time adding to the extant literary and practical knowledge on participatory mapping. Through the engagement of Elders, knowledge holders, and land-users, this research documents and maps places of importance and past and present land-use practices within the James Smith community. The data reveal the connection that members of James Smith have with several geographical areas around their reserve. These findings may be used by the community for land claims, and to halt future development projects encroaching on their land. The study participants’ positive response to the mapping workshops additionally reinforces the notion that, if executed in a way that ensures a complete and meaningful engagement of the community involved, participatory mapping can help create a positive research environment when working with Indigenous communities. |
| Supervisor | Anthony, Brandon; Bradford, Lori |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/margiotta_carmen.pdf |
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