Celebrate National Indigenous History Month with ArcGIS

June 13, 2023

Angela Alexander

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada. It’s a time to recognize the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. In celebration of this special month, we have compiled a collection of ArcGIS resources and inspirational stories for educators.

Maps and story maps are a great way to learn about Indigenous history in Canada. Explore our collection of ready to use ArcGIS resources to support the teaching of Indigenous studies in K-12 education.

A screenshot of the Stories of the Land story map showing a map of Canada with the location where Indigenous linguistic families exist.

Stories from the Land: Indigenous Place Names in Canada, a story map created by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.

A screenshot displaying the Native Land Digital data layer in ArcGIS Online.

The Native Land Digital layer to displays Indigenous lands in a way that changes, challenges, and improves the way people see history and the present day. Their hope to strengthen the spiritual bonds that people have with the land, its people, and its meaning.

A screenshot of the Population of Indigenous People in Canada layer in ArcGIS Online.

Discover the Population of Indigenous People Living in Canada, 2016.

A screenshot displaying the syllabic writing system used by the Inuit people.

From those that have thousands of speakers to those with only a few, explore the languages of Indigenous Peoples in Canada – Canadian Geographic Education. The image shows the syllabic writing system used by the Inuit people.

Inspiration

Many of our monthly blog posts highlight the use of ArcGIS by educators and students in Canada. They also are examples of what is possible with ArcGIS. Teachers can create their own resources and students can share their learning in a story map. Here are a couple of examples of how ArcGIS has been used to teach and learn about Indigenous History.

On the Map with Six Nations Polytechnic STEAM Academy

This On the Map features the work being done by passionate teachers at Six Nations Polytechnic STEAM Academy in Brantford, Ontario. Find out how they are revitalizing Haudenosaunee Culture and Stories with ArcGIS.

A map displaying the journey of the Peacemaker in ArcGIS Online.

Students retold the story of the Peacemaker, who established The Great Law of Peace among the Hodinohso:ni Nations during times of war. They used ArcGIS as a visual tool to help them recall his journey through Hodisononi History. The students created resources for staff and students about this important story.

Andre Boutin-Maloney uses GIS to support the teaching of Truth and Reconciliation

Andre Boutin-Maloney is a teacher from Bert Fox Community High School in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan located in Treaty 4 territory. Discover how he’s using ArcGIS to support the teaching of Truth and Reconciliation at his school.

A screenshot showing a map of the Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan area.

"This story map project has allowed students, many who have a direct connection to Treaty 4, to learn more about it and to gain a deeper understanding of their community. It also introduced the students to GIS and how to use maps to tie the significance of land to a story." - Andre Boutin-Maloney

New to ArcGIS Online?

If you are a K-12 educator new to ArcGIS Online, you can request an account for yourself and your students at k12.esri.ca/#access. Explore the Esri Canada K-12 Resource Finder to find resources for your class.