Cartography is a powerful tool for understanding the world and our place within it, but sometimes maps conceal more than they reveal. Throughout much of the history of cartography, maps have been used to forcibly claim territory and exploit the land, erasing the histories and claims of the people who lived there before. Native Land Digital is a new organization with the mission “to map Indigenous lands in a way that changes, challenges, and improves the way people see history and the present day.” In this episode we talk with Tanya Ruka, a Māori indigenous multimedia artist and designer who is the new Executive Director of Native Land Digital, about acknowledging the land we live on, how to map uncertainty, and the role indigenous knowledge plays in the fight against climate change.

Tanya Ruka & Mapping Native Lands