Digital age mapping: First Nation using GIS data to map cultural values.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: MINING

Matawa First Nations, a tribal council representing nine First Nations in northwestern Ontario, is taking a proactive approach with land use management to safeguard its cultural and historical values.

The council has adopted geographic information system (GIS) technology to collect and store traditional values data, which is then applied to discussions with mining companies regarding potential claims in its territory.

In the works since January 2011, the project was undertaken to build capacity within Matawa's communities, explained Kyle MacLaurin, Matawa's GIS/data specialist. In the past, the council had to hire a consultant for data collection purposes. By investing in the technology, the community is taking control of its own data management.

"We've decided that what we want is to integrate the system into the tribal council and then train our communities on how to do our own mapping, so that we don't have to constantly start from scratch every time a new project comes through," MacLaurin said.

When any of the communities are approached about resource development in their territories, they can use the data to determine whether there may be an infringement on their cultural values--traditional hunting areas, archaeological sites, former Aboriginal settlements or burial grounds--and take that information into discussions with mining companies.

MacLaurin trains people in mapping and data collection skills, after which the communities take responsibility for gathering their own information. In addition to capacity building, training community members means enhanced employment opportunities.

Though cultural values collection is the current focus, MacLaurin believes that eventually the communities will be able to get into their own natural resource management.

Alex Miller, founder and president of Esri Canada, the manufacturer of the Ar-cGIS software, said GIS is being widely used across the country by First Nations, which view it as a cost-effective way to map out their land use.

"The federal government for many years has really treated the First Nations pretty patronizingly with collecting their data on where their properties are, where the lots are on the reserves," he said. "A lot of First Nations are really developing the skills to take that over and start managing their own reserves and their own nations."

Adopting the technology has been a switch in mindset for many communities, which traditionally passed knowledge between generations...