Lessons Learned

Skill Development and Collaboration:

• Recognizing the need for skill development and collaboration with other land-stewardship programs to merge local knowledge effectively, considering the project’s goals and objectives.

Tool Development and Accessibility:

• Developing a “broadly accessible” story map tool to cater to various audiences, including elders, language learners, scientists, and educators, within the framework of the project.

• Recognizing the need for multiple pathways and interaction options within the story map to accommodate different accessibility preferences, such as minimizing complexity for elders, while integrating scientific data with Indigenous knowledge.

Framework Design and Integration:

• Acknowledging the complexity of designing a framework that respects diverse knowledge systems without hierarchy, particularly in the context of eco-cultural initiatives.

• Addressing the challenge of integrating Indigenous wisdom into the story map without relegating it to mere decoration or marginalization, specifically within the GIS framework of the project.

Critical Examination and Perspective Shift:

• Engaging in the critical examination of technologies and their role in place-based learning within the project’s context.

• Grappling with the perspective shift inherent in traditional GIS mapping, which emphasizes colonial viewpoints, and exploring ways to create culturally sensitive mapping tools that align with the project’s goals.

Project Objectives and Cultural Awareness:

• Understanding the shift in project goals towards restoration rather than a narrative of loss, and the importance of navigating the line between appreciation and appropriation, aligning with the project’s evolving objectives.

• Emphasizing the project’s broader significance in fostering connections across generations and cultures, reflecting its impact beyond immediate outcomes.

• Questioning the assumption that more data always leads to better outcomes, particularly within the context of place-based, knowledge-based learning emphasized by the project.