Cultural Mapping

He Mihi
Aku nui aku rahi, tena no koutou katoa
Ano ki a maua ko Ngarangi, ka timata te wetewete atu i nga pitopito korero e pa ana ki nga moteatea, oriori ranei i roto i nga pukapuka a Ta Apirana.

Katahi ka whakaarohia nga tauwhainga matua - ara, ka whakatu mai ra i te matu o ta maua nei tirohia whanui - ka tahi

Ka rua - ka whiriwhirihia nga momo moteatea kia tirohia rawatia - hei ta te mea tuatahi kei runga...

Ka toru - ka timata te wetewete korero!

Cultural Mapping
I headed up to Motueka a few weeks ago to meet up with Ngarangi. We began to wananga and piece together what we should do to produce some cultural maps!!

First we discussed what it was i wanted to achieve - it looked something like this:

AIM: to describe the spatial extent of CULTURAL SPACE
by translating ORAL ASSETS into SPATIAL ASSETS

How were we going to achieve our over-all AIM of describing the spatial extent of cultural space?
Quite simply, our approach was to look at the oral traditions of our forefathers & create a cultural map from the oral assets contained within Moteatea!!

In a nutshell: we identify the spatial assets with in the oral korero (traditions) & then we re-locate these into space - a bit like this below:- - - >

Initial Cultural Map depicting parts of an Ancestral Journey
as described by the moteatea

Some Definitions
What is the purpose of a cultural map?
The purpose of cultural maps is to describe the spatial extent of cultural space. Equally as important is to discover what cultural space is & how it can be described! But what about spatial extent? How important is spatial extent to a cultural map?

What is cultural space?
Cultural space can be defined as that collection of significant historical events related to place & people that leave the hint of a shadow or footprint on the landscape. This essentially defines the cultural identity of that group of people that inhabit the region.

What is spatial extent?
This is the geographical landscape and how it would look on a conventional map.
But for Indigenous peoples, spatial extent (in terms of cultural mapping) would be the shape of an 'ancestral landscape'. How would that look on a cultural map?

What is an ancestral landscape?
An ancestral landscape can be defined by the relationship which a cultural group has with the land. In other words, by how the group clothed the land with the 'fullness of their lives'. This cold be described as the footprints left by the ancestors.


So, this is how we created our cultural maps:
- First, we selected/identified moteatea (type of song) to work with (x4)

- Then we interrogate the information contained in moteatea

- From this process, we identify the 'references' to geographical place - or whenua

- these could be through whakapapa (ancestors) who inhabited a certain district

- or significant activities (such as harvesting, hunting, battles etc) related to place

- or the location/fixing of harvesting areas using the natural features of the earth

- temporary settlements or permanent settlements

- or actual significant 'markers' or 'features' of the heavens & earth- wet or dry

- and so on

In essence, we draw-out the 'references' to place, whakapapa & korero (information) related to each 'place'

- Then we create a 'map' on our A3 pad

- our task is merely to plot/fix each 'reference' to place

- our canvas is 'blank' - no grid lines, no coordinates, no roads, no cadastre, no topography

- at this stage there is no shape to the space - we plot the 'references' almost in the 'order' in which they appear in the moteatea

- we created a 'polygon' within which to fix/plot each 'reference' to place

- Hence we 'plot' each reference to place & add the name

- We then add information about each place, such as:
#Type of feature
#Description of that feature
# Main Activity in that place
# Any relevant whakapapa
# and so on

- we then add this cultural data to the database!


Ponderings
Each moteatea was described or drawn spatially with its own series of 'cultural maps'. These maps really had no 'shape' what-so-ever, contrasted with conventional maps which use a grid or coordinate system to give ‘body’ to the map and to display the spatial relationships of the geographical information.

The outcome of the initial drawings or 'cultural maps' were governed (in the first instance) by ‘how’ the cultural information unfolded in the moteatea right from the beginning to the end. In other words, we plotted the cultural information ‘literally’ in the order in it came in the moteatea.

Maps of this nature can only be understood fully by those who have an intimate knowledge of the area, region, events & people. One must be able to recite the moteatea and call the landscape to their mind! To call the landscape to the mind, you must have put your feet on the ground – not only does your mind require memory of place, but so do all your other senses. Your feet must feel the ground beneath, you must smell the air and feel the wind blow through you; you must also see the footprints left behind by the ancestors & taste the food of the earth.

This concept is encapsulated by the notion of turangawaewae – literally, a ‘standing place for the feet’ which, can only be achieved by those who can claim a whakapapa alliance with the people & the region.

The ability to re-call by memory the intimate details of moteatea is merely a single component of the oral database of information of a cultural map. Other components that enrich the maps are whakapapa relevant to the moteatea which provide historical context, and historical events & stories that enrich understanding and place each event in chronological sequence.


What about the spatial relationships within Cultural Maps?
Whilst conventional maps display spatial relationships between geographical objects, cultural maps display relationships between a person/group and the land they inhabit. This type of relationship is captured by the concept of tangata-whenua or 'people of the land' - this is essentially the link between people & the land they inhabit/inherit.

What is important in cultural maps are the inherent relationships that are forged between people/groups and the very environment that sustained their existence. The ancestral landscapes are an enduring record of their korero / histories. Koina


What now?
# the next step is to plot the geographical location of each 'place' or oral asset onto a 'base map' such as a topographical map

# this will 'define' the spatial relationship between each cultural asset

# then populate the database with all the information relevant to that 'place' or asset

# then find a way to link the oral database with the oral map

Ka tika

-- Naku noa --
-- H24 --