Data scientist charts the power, politics, and purpose of mapmaking

In his presentation, "Indigenous Cartography and Cartography of the Indigenous,” data scientist Timothy Norris highlighted the cultural discourse and indigeneity tensions that mapmaking has generated, especially over the past three centuries. "All maps are political statements that have the intention to change the world in one way or another,” said Norris, who holds a joint appointment with University of Miami Libraries and the Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC). "Any conversation around maps and indigeneity is going to be extraordinarily controversial. Norris' virtual presentation on June 1, the fifth in the University Libraries' series "Conversations on Cartography,” was moderated by Arthur Dunkelman, curator of the Jay I. Kislak Collection. In exploring the crossroads between cartography and indigeneity, Norris drew on his research of geospatial data visualizations (cartography) and participatory research methodologies, as well as from his experience teaching a class by the same title offered by the Native American and Global Indigenous Studies program. He emphasized that maps are made for a myriad of reasons, not simply to aid travelers. "Maps are often about boundaries and measurements and either some kind of government management or statecraft-taxes, surveying, or something similar-and, more recently, about property and how we maintain it,” he said.