Cultural landscapes of the common ground: Mapping traditional Anishinaabe relationships to the land

Abstract

The primary goal of this research was the facilitation of cross-cultural communication between local Anishinaabe and settler communities within the context of the Rat Portage Common Ground Conservation Organization. Through the course of this study a combination of western cartographic conventions, phenomenological principles, and cultural asset mapping techniques have been applied. The original data discussed are the aggregation of three separate data collection initiatives. Each initiatives' individual results have been utilized in various ways to record, communicate, and verify the final research process and products. The research also sought to gain insight into the application of particular mapping methodologies to a phenomenological inquiry. The phenomenon under investigation was the place-based Anishinaabe cultural landscapes of the Common Ground Lands. While the employed mapping conventions were found to assist in realizing the phenomenological objectives of the research, it was also observed that phenomenology itself offered valuable insights into the act of mapping.