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GIS for Good Info

.... people had to know about the features of a certain area of land. A spatial area contained the resources needed for easier living. This information was passed down to others. In effect, a GIS. 

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Geographic Information System

There are areas of modern life that are made much more manageable with computer aided devices and programs, one of them being GIS. An area of use that Modoc Broadcasting believes would be useful is the mapping of our grave sites. There are many tribal cemeteries  throughout our former reservation. Many graves to say the least. There exists markers and personal info on each grave for the most part but no info exists on a spatial extent.

It would be very easy to collect a spatial component to the graves at the separate cemeteries  along with the personal info at each grave to ultimately create a GIS. This them becomes the nexus for recording info on each person into a tribal database where info is kept on current and past tribal members.

This information builds a connection to our past  in a meaningful way. With GIS "larger " pictures emerge that otherwise might not of been noticed. When you standardize the data collection you can visualize connections to our past that can help build a bright and secure future.

Another great project for the tribes to undertake is the participation in the Indigenous Place Names network. This is a project that was initiated by the Coure D' Alene tribe in Idaho. This projects main focus is to name geographical features with the original native names for these features. This allows for a record of past uses and thus an  entry into the realm of usual and accustomed places. These types of documentations help the tribes in efforts to preserve treaty rights and to draw attention to the past uses of the tribes This lends credence to the notion of an inherent right to any resources with in treaty rights. This naming is a good thing and the author of this website worked directly with the developers of the project on its inception in 2008.

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