[Geowanking] International Forum on Indigenous Mapping

[Mike Liebhold]

[If you recieve duplicate copies, please excuse the cross-posting on
this important event]

http://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=INTE14E

The International Forum on Indigenous Mapping
Mapping for Indigenous Advocacy and Empowerment
March 11-14, 2004
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Maps are more than pieces of paper
they are stories, conversations,
lives and songs lived out in a place

Maps are inseparable from
the political and cultural contexts
in which they are used.


The International Forum on Indigenous Mapping will bring together two
hundred representatives of indigenous peoples engaged in mapping, as
well as individuals who assist them in these efforts.  Through a
flexible schedule of informative sessions and exciting events in a
comfortable and inspiring setting they will build enduring relationships
with their colleagues around the world.  They will also imporve their
individual mapping knowledge and skills.

Purpose
Native peoples around the world are maintaining, rekindling and wielding
their profound
knowledge of their homelands through a variety of methods. One such
method is map-ping.
Conducted through numerous processes that reflect unique blends of cultural,
technological and philosophical approaches, these mapping efforts are
producing a vari-ety
of both tangible products and intangible community resources. These
range from
small indigenous communities passing down such knowledge in customary
ways to asso-ciations
of Native peoples implementing externally-funded mapping projects to those
conducted by non-governmental organizations in consultation with
indigenous peoples.
Yet these islands of indigenous mapping efforts remain separated by
ideological, geo-graphical,
financial, political and cultural oceans, and the full power of an
indigenous
mapping network is yet to be realized. Hundred of meetings, conferences,
workshops
and gatherings occur around the globe about the technical and academic
aspects of
mapping. The International Forum on Indigenous Mapping seeks to bring
together
indigenous peoples and their partners engaged in mapping for the purpose
of estab-lishing
connections and exchanging knowledge across these divides and reminding
us all
that we are not alone in these important endeavors.

Participants
The Forum is aimed primarily at indigenous leaders, elders, community
representatives
and technicians who are producing and using maps to protect their land
and resource
rights and maintain their cultures. Secondarily, it will include
indigenous and non-indige-nous
attorneys, foundation representatives, academics, policymakers and
government
officials and conservationists who are in a position to assist
indigenous peoples in these
efforts. The Forum will be bilingual and provide simultaneous
Spanish-English transla-tion
services.

The Forum will include representatives of the partners in the Indigenous
Communities
Mapping Initiative, which are: the Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes of the Flathead
Nation; the Ford Foundation; the I CM I core team; the Lannan
Foundation; the Limahuli
Gardens and Preserve; the Santa Clara Pueblo; the Tides Foundation; the
Village of
Chevak; the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation; and the William and
Flora Hewlett
Foundation. Created in 1999, this evolving, collaborative effort
provides financial and
technical resources to these and other indigenous peoples conducting
mapping, encour-ages
critical rethinking about Native community-based mapping, and seeks to
enhance
the ability of foundations and indigenous people to partner in such efforts.
While the Planning Committee for the Forum welcomes all those who wish
to partic-ipate,
we have decided to limit the number of Forum participants to two
hundred. This
will maintain an informal environment where attendees have the best
opportunity to
meet and interact with each other. This will include 33 individuals from
the I CM I part-ners
and 42 presenters.

The Planning Committee will select the remaining 125 participants based
on the appli-cation
form on this website. This will allow the Forum to achieve a balance in
indigenous affiliation, geographic location, gender and age diversity,
involvement in
indigenous mapping, and the potential for indigenous mapping efforts to
build effective
alliances and relationships. Some of the invitees will receive financial
assistance to pay
for the majority of their expenses ( e.g. US $200 Forum registration
fee, US $133 hotel
room/ night, and air travel ), as determined by the Planning Committee.
Registration
discounts may be offered to students. Completed applications must be
received by
December 26, 2003. Please see the application form for more details.