Keeping culture strong with co-mapping

Last month, ranger teams from NT and SA came together at Desert Knowledge Australia in Alice Springs to share the ways of collaborative mapping. The workshop marked the first experience some teams had with the IDA Network, and many new connections were made.

Rangers created large canvas maps that show stories, sites, animals, plants and language; all information that can be used for sharing knowledge, recording history, planning land and water management on country, and keeping culture strong. Some ranger teams who had already been working on mapping projects shared how they made their maps, and how they were now using them on country.

Teams started adding place names, important species, and feral animals to their maps by day two, and had the chance to yarn to the group about what else they'd be adding, and how they planned to use the maps back on country. There was also discussion about using the maps in two-way learning with kids, and as a way to keep Elders involved with ranger work.

The teams will come together again at the 2024 IDA Conference and share how their maps have progressed, and yarn about how they are being used in ranger work.

Big thanks to artist and writer Kim Mahood for leading the workshop.