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 Unititled/ṮEṮÁĆES map, which is intended to get us to think differently about how we learn about the places around us, cartographically and historically.
What the blog labels mean
About: a bit about why I am doing this work and an introduction to the first "haptic map" prototype.
Links: right now, I have a list of links to mapping resources with an Indigenous emphasis, as well as a list of articles on and related to Indigneous place-name restoration and creation, mostly in and around the Salish Sea.
Creating: these posts discuss 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: I put on my thinking cap and reflect on some issues, considerations, and inspirations related to making art-maps, like the haptic map, and more.
Note that this blog is not yet "officially" published. I am doing this work as part of ongoing PhD work at UVic, and much of the writing is yet to come. Feel free to contact me about anything using the contact form at the bottom of any post.