Mapping Wemindji Cree stories of the land as everyday acts of resurgence

Abstract

This article demonstrates the potential for conceptualizing Indigenous mapping as everyday acts of resurgence. We draw on ongoing collaborative community-based mapping research projects by and for the Eastern Cree community of Wemindji in Northern Canada. The extensive literature on Indigenous counter-mapping, decolonial cartographies, and participatory practices are effective in legal and political struggles. However, we address two recent calls from Indigenous scholars to (1) decenter the colonial aspect of mapping and (2) focus on praxis. We also draw connections with the growing global Indigenous resurgence movement. Indigenous scholars in a variety of disciplines and Indigenous communities turn away from state-centric approaches and focus on Indigenous renewal on their own terms. We illustrate that the stream of the resurgence movement that focuses on everyday practices of cultural renewal is fruitful for conceptualizing Indigenous mapping grounded in praxis. Drawing on the work on everyday acts of resurgence, we reflect on how mapping stories in Wemindji supports and is grounded in daily practices of nurturing relationships between community members, renewing connections with the land, culture, and language, and promoting community well-being. We hope to broaden Indigenous mapping beyond decolonization theories, contribute to the focus on praxis, and open the conversation on mapping practices as everyday acts of resurgence.