Maps provide a powerful tool for understanding spatial data, communicating the needs and priorities of communities, and creating tools to for use in ethnobiology, environmental justice, natural resource management, and other fields covered in our curriculum. We use Google Maps and Google Earth for our curriculum because they are available without cost and familiar to many students without requiring extensive training. For more advanced users maps can be made using Geographical Information System software; GIS files can be used by Google Earth Pro, which can be obtained through the Google Educational Grant program.

Mapping tutorial

Supplemental Materials

University of Victoria Ethnographic Mapping Lab student projects

Michael Goodchild discusses "From Community Mapping to Critical Spatial Thinking: The Changing Face of GIS" in a National Science Foundation Distinguished Lecture. View Video

Indigenous Mapping Network: IMN endeavors to bridge the gap between traditional "mapping" practices and modern mapping technologies.

Aboriginal Mapping Network: originally started to support lands claims by Canadian First Nations

Participatory community mapping: this website provides examples and resources for building three dimensional maps and using GIS in international development.

Google Earth Community non-profit showcase

ESRI GIS Tribal program

US Census Maps