Find Out Which Indigenous Land You Are in With This Application
Thanksgiving is America’s most excruciating holiday. Originally a celebration of survival in adversity (and later as a tribute to religious ideals and later helping to unite the country in times of conflict ), the holiday has evolved into an annual celebration of overeating, football, and family disputes. But it all misses the darker side of the day: the fact that it exists at all – that our nation exists at all – only at the expense of the lives of millions of indigenous peoples whose lands have been invaded and cultures destroyed by colonizing forces. We’ve been remembering this a little better lately. You may have seen references to land on social media where, instead of geotagging the photograph, the posters indicate the indigenous people who own the land; Or maybe you’ve heard the land recognition at the start of a live concert or theatrical performance (remember?). Gratitude for land helps us better understand, reflect, and celebrate the history of indigenous peoples, languages, territories and treaties. So how do you find out more about a particular land and the people to whom it belongs?
Well, there is an app for that. Native Land, a Canadian non-profit organization, has mapped indigenous territories in the Americas, as well as parts of Europe and Asia. You can search by address, view and enlarge the map, or select specific territories, languages or conventions.
There is both a web version and apps for iOS and Android . In the app, use the “Map” section to find the address. Toggle the Resources icon on the bottom toolbar to search or view territories, languages, and treaties. You will also see an external link next to the name of each territory, which will redirect you to the Native Land website and additional resources for more information on this tribe.
Another quick option is to text your city and state (in “city, state” format) to 1-907-312-5085 or Land Acknowledgment on Facebook Messenger. You will receive a response telling you which indigenous land you are in. This service uses an API that extracts data from Native Land as well as location information from the United States Geographic Names Information System and Geonames.
If you are looking for this information for your own education, great. If you plan to publish or promote land recognition in a personal or professional capacity, use these guidelines from the Center for Local Government to inform your research. This article was originally published in August 2020 and has been updated on November 25, 2020 to add additional context about lede’s Thanksgiving.