A living atlas for geospatial storytelling: The cybercartographic atlas of indigenous perspectives and knowledge of the Great Lakes Region

This article presents and discusses the cultural and technological contexts of the development of the Cybercartographic Atlas of Indigenous Perspectives and Knowledge of the Great Lakes Region in Ontario. The atlas was developed to enhance the capability to recover the systemic nature of traditional Indigenous knowledge by electronically interrelating different forms of expressive culture (language, oral traditions, items of material and visual culture, historical documentation). To reach this goal, this atlas includes a living geospatial database that serves as an artefact repository and enables communities to contribute geographically relevant knowledge and to develop their own interactive, multimedia online geospatial stories through modules or sections. Two of these modules are discussed here: a treaties module focusing on the survey phase of the Lake Huron treaty process, and a culture module geared toward engaging Aboriginal artists, community members, and high school students in contributing to the development of this community-based atlas. The discussion concludes with a critical look at the potential of cybercartography and the challenges that remain, especially when it comes to further developing the living and the collaborative dimensions of cybercartographic atlases