The Way Back, City Media and Ivey Business School are working together to preserve boundary knowledge, culture and knowledge of the land.
LONDON, ON — Sept. 15/26— Indigenous Nations are invited to participate in a new geomapping project underway through The Way Back, City Media and Ivey Business School.
One of the most common challenges facing Indigenous communities is the lack of accurate, accessible information about their boundaries. In many cases, critical knowledge about the land exists across historical records, government documents, individual memories and oral histories—or has never been gathered in one place. This project is working to change that.
The geomapping platform is being developed to preserve and organize a Nation’s knowledge of its land, much like Google Maps organizes information about businesses and places. Each Nation can identify what to map and preserve, including boundaries, traditional place names, culturally significant areas, community assets, infrastructure, and knowledge held by Elders and community members.
The information remains specific to the Nation, with the community determining what is recorded, how it is used and who can access it.
“Boundary knowledge is fundamental, but many Nations do not have one accurate, accessible place where that information is preserved,” said Katherine Haine, CEO of City Media. “This project brings the land, its history and the knowledge held within the community together in a practical digital platform. That has never been done in this way before.”
The project is part of a broader collaboration between City Media and Ivey Business School. The organizations are working toward creating a Social Impact Lab through which Ivey students contribute research, analysis, and business thinking to projects that address priorities identified by Indigenous communities and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The current student project focuses on advancing the geomapping initiative and exploring how to structure it to serve communities over the long term.
Invitation to Indigenous Nations
The Way Back is now inviting Indigenous Nations to participate in the geomapping project.
Participating Nations will help shape the platform by identifying their most pressing boundary and land-information needs. This may include:
- Documenting and clarifying community boundaries
- Preserving traditional place names and oral knowledge
- Recording culturally significant places
- Mapping community infrastructure and assets
- Bringing records currently held in different places into one accessible system
- Determining how information should be protected and shared
- Identifying how the platform could support land planning, emergency preparedness and future community decisions
Participation begins with a conversation about the Nation’s priorities. Communities do not need to have their information organized or a completed mapping plan before coming forward.
“This is not a platform being built for communities without their involvement,” Haine said. “It must be built with Nations, based on their knowledge, their priorities and their decisions about their land.”
Nations interested in participating or learning more are invited to contact:
Katherine Haine
TheWayBack.ca / Citymedia.ca
khaine@citymedia.ca
519-808-7878
About The Way Back: The Way Back is a City Media initiative that works with Indigenous Nations to develop practical digital tools for land, community information, communication, and planning. Its work is guided by each Nation’s priorities, with community control over how it collects, protects, and uses its information. TheWayBack.ca
About City Media: City Media is a Canadian digital communications and technology company with more than 25 years of experience. The company works with Indigenous communities, organizations and businesses to build digital platforms, communications systems and practical tools shaped around how people actually work. Citymedia.ca