Recognizing the Indigenous Context
In creating this project, I recognize that the maps used depict the very recent displacement of individuals and communities in a colonialized context. The maps in this collection do not show the historical displacement of the people of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, who have cared for these lands for thousands of years.
Furthermore, the maps in this collection are drawn from a Western perspective, and therefore emphasize details aligned with that perspective including infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and landmarks.
In understanding this collection, it is important to recognize the power that maps have: “As a political technology, mapping has long played a key role in the world-making practices of colonialism through the appropriation, demarcation, naming, and partitioning of territory as part of the process of colonization and the assertion of imperial rule over peoples and places (Rose-Redwood et al., 2020).
Consequently, in creating this map collection, I recognize that these maps do not and cannot tell a full story of the entirety of the displacement of Indigenous peoples in Vancouver. To better understand the displacement of Indigenous peoples in Vancouver and mapping from Indigenous perspectives, I recommend the following resources:
An independent publication that reports on Indigenous issues in BC, including gentrification issues (see this page.)
- Also consider reading this article on the displacement of those living on the Kitsilano Reserve (Sen̓áḵw)
Provides an interactive map to visualize the traditional territories of the Indigenous peoples of Canada (and others around the world!).
- Check out their teacher's guide for suggestions of how to use and analyze the map.
Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Website
A website for the political organization of provincial chiefs in British Columbia.
- Of interest might be their historical timeline and their library and archives.
UBC’s Aboriginal Maps and Mapping Guide
A guide with more resources available online or through UBC’s Library.