Welcome to the Namescape blog
Hello from the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Esquimalt and Songhees Nations) and WSÁNEĆ Peoples, on the lands known also as Vancouver Island.
"Namescapes" are the landscapes of place names, or toponyms, we create culturally and individually to name the places around us. Namescapes are part of our shared knowledge systems and histories.
This blog is part of personal journey to understand ways to encourage new harmonies between settler and Indigenous namescapes, especially in and around the Salish Sea. I also want to celebrate a growing chorus of those working toward reconciliation—an evolving and understandably contested term—through the acknowledgment, restoration, and creation of Indigenous toponyms.
As part of this journey, I have the great fortune to be working with artist TEMOSEṈ on an art-installation project, the Untitled ṮEṮÁĆES map, which is intended to get us to think differently about how we learn about the places around us, cartographically and historically.
Blog post labels explained...
About: a bit about this work and an introduction to the first "haptic map" prototype.
Links: a list of links to mapping resources with an Indigenous emphasis, as well as information on Indigneous place-name restoration and creation, mostly in and around the Salish Sea.
Creating: discussions on the making of the first "haptic map" prototype. These posts are intended to inspire you to make your own version of a haptic map by showing you how we made the first one.
Reflecting: exploring some issues, considerations, and inspirations related to making art-maps, like the Untitled ṮEṮÁĆES map, and more.
Feel free to contact me about anything using the contact form at the bottom of any post.