Visualizing Dispossession, Envisioning Land Back

OVERVIEW

This module “Visualizing Dispossession, Envisioning Land Back” explores how historical US government mapping programs and practices that are archived in publicly-available online map databases—referred to as “Archives” throughout—contributed to land dispossession by supporting settler colonial interests and undermining Tribal sovereignty. Specifically, this module provides instructional materials for deconstructing these Archives based on the settler colonial interests of their makers and reassembling them into new creative map forms to support Land Back. The module also provides prompts for reflection about how maps and mapping broadly have contributed historically to Indigenous land dispossession, but at the same time how maps and mapping also offer opportunities for awareness, advocacy, and action for Indigenous people and Tribal rights.

This module is designed to be used together with the others. In particular, we recommend reviewing the slidedeck from the “Key Concepts for Understanding Indigenous Lands Dispossession In Wisconsin and Beyond” before completing this module, paying particular attention to the following questions:

What is dispossession?
What is Tribal Sovereignty?
(brief) History of Indigenous dispossession in the Upper Midwest broadly, and Wisconsin specifically.
How does the UW contribute to dispossession?

This module is organized as follows:

Overview
Learning Objectives and Deliverables

This section provides a pedagogical overview of the learning objectives and deliverables that can be repurposed or extended for classroom assignment or workshop facilitation.

Process

This section provides a summary of the four Units, each including opening procedures and critical thinking prompts.

Archival Biographies

The fourth section provides “Biographies” for seven Archives. Each Archive Biography includes a short historical description, example maps from the 2026 UW Cart Lab Design Challenge that can be immediately printed (geographic emphasis on Madison and Wisconsin given the location of the workshop), and links to the complete database to download additional locations.

Examples

The final section provides several instructional examples derived from the 2026 UW Cart Lab Design Challenge.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & DELIVERABLES

Design of this module is informed by Bloom’s revised taxonomy of “Learning Objectives”, with an emphasis on the higher-level learning objectives. Upon completing this module, you will be able to:

Deconstruct archival mapping sources to understand how colonization manifests through representations and erasures of Indigeneity and/or sovereignty (an instance of Bloom’s “Anayze”).

Assemble/Reassemble mapping material to (re)visualize alternatives to settler colonial representations of the landscape (an instance of Bloom’s “Create”).

Reflect upon how the processes of deconstruction and reassembly could contribute to dialogues about Land Back (an instance of Bloom’s “Evaluate”).

As part of the module, you will prepare:

Map: A map (defined loosely, as creativity is encouraged!) that repurposes or draws inspiration from Archive materials to create a new visual argument in support of Land Back. The map can be digital or non-digital, and may make use of any digital software or physical materials. Tangible materials for non-digital, sketch maps might include, but are not limited to: pens, pencils, markers, and paints as well as glue, scissors, and tape. The map should include annotation or story context that makes explicit how it supports dialogue towards Land Back.

Reflection: In addition to the map, you will prepare a critical reflection based on your mapping process. The critical reflection should provide a narrative of your design thinking about Indigenous dispossession and Land Back across the four Units. Accordingly, your reflection should explicitly respond to one or more of the critical thinking prompts included within each Unit. You do not need to answer all of the questions from each unit. There are two options for the reflection (both can be assigned):

Presentation: Prepare and deliver a slidedeck presentation showing your design process across the four Units. The presentation must be at least four slides (one per Unit), but can be as many as eight slides. Include speaker notes responding to at least one of the critical thinking prompts for each Unit.

Essay: Prepare a short visual essay describing your design process across the four Units.The essay must include at least 250-500 words per Unit responding to at least one critical thinking prompt for each Unit (1,000-2,000 words in total). The essay also must include at least two and as many as four figures with captions, with the first figure providing a photo or screenshot taken during a particular breakthrough (or bottleneck) in the design process and the final figure showing the final map.

PROCESS

Complete Slide Deck for all Units

Unit 0: “Explore” (Archive Background)

Opening Procedure:

Introduce the Module Overview, Learning Objectives, and Deliverables (see above). Allow participants to introduce themselves if they do not already know each other.

Show several example maps most relevant to the selected Archive(s) for a visual overview of the Module objective (see below).

Facilitate an open exploration of the Archives and Archive Biographies (see below). We recommend one of two approaches to engaging with the archives based on the availability of printing and the size of the group.

Broad (all Archives, printing recommended): Spend 5-10 minutes (depending on available time) examining each Archive and considering the following critical thinking prompts:

What strikes you about the way the Archive represents the landscape?
How are the processes of dispossession, settler colonialism, and Tribal sovereignty present (or absent) in the Archive?
(after reviewing the first Archive) How is this Archive different from the ones you already have discussed?

Focused (one Archive, no printing): Spend 20-30 minutes (depending on available time) in small groups of 2-4 people looking through the online archival information. Then, spend 20-30 minutes (depending on available time) together looking at different locations and considering the following critical thinking prompts:
- What strikes you about the way the Archive represents the landscape?
- How are the processes of dispossession, settler colonialism, and Tribal sovereignty present (or absent) in the Archive?
- How are different locations depicted differently across the Archive? Take screenshots of notable locations for subsequent (re)mapping.

Unit 1: “Past” (Group Project Brainstorm)

Opening Procedure:

Introduce Unit 1: The objective of Unit 1 is for group brainstorm of potential map ideas for critically reimagining the selected Archive. Brainstorming can include sketching, whiteboarding, outlining, etc., but does not include modifying the provided Archival materials yet. Brainstorming also includes completing additional reading about your research and conducting additional research into your archive.

Provide a Background Presentation on the Public Land Survey System (Optional)

Form small project groups. We recommend 2-4 people per group. Ideally, groups are formed by interest in a specific Archive and/or geographic location. Groups four Unit 2 do not need to be the same for Unit 1 if Step 3a is followed using all Archives.

Before starting your group project brainstorm, take a moment to “press pause” and consider the following questions meeting the Deconstruct (Analyze) Learning Objective above:

Now that you have explored the Archive(s), what does your selected Archive and/or geographic location emphasize about the landscape and how will you critique these emphases in your map?
What aspects of the landscape are not represented in this Archive and how could you add this additional information to your map?
What processes of dispossession are present in this Archive and how will you address these in your map?
How are (or are not) Indigenous people present in this Archive and how will you make them more visible in your map?
How is your interpretation of these Archival materials for your map informed by your positionality?

Complete the brainstorming deconstruction activity in small groups, with the goal of narrowing into a collaborative design idea that is feasible within the remaining allotted two Units of time (2-3 hours) and that has a clearly defined role for each group member.

Examples of creative mapping projects for inspiration:

Unit 2: Present (Creative Mapping)

Opening Procedure:

Introduce Unit 2: The objective of Unit 2 is to gather and process the content for your map. Mapping should begin by selecting the content from the Archive that you wish to retain or revise in your map, and in doing so also choosing what content to remove. Mapping also includes collecting any additional context layers that you will add to reinterpret your Archive. Unit 2 concludes with exploring how you will layer and style, such as determining the order of your data layers and choosing symbols like color, shapes, or text labels for representing your compiled information.

Provide a Background Presentation on Modern Property and Counter-Mapping (Optional)

Before starting your creative mapping, take a moment to “press pause” and consider the following questions meeting the Assemble/Reassemble (Create) Learning Objective above:
- What additional context could be provided in your map to help explain how these Archive materials relate to dispossession?
- How could you deemphasize the grid in your map, both visually and conceptually?
- What additional layers not included in your Archive could be added to your map to disrupt conceptions of ownership and property?
- How could this Archive could be reimagined/recreated in your map to center Indigenous people?
- What are the limitations of mapping regarding dispossession and what alternative conceptions of the landscape are possible to disrupt or reimagine these limitations in your map?

Complete the assembly/reassembly activity in small groups, with the goal of having a ~50% complete rough draft of your map that you can share with other groups for rapid constructive feedback.

Unit 3: Future (Annotation & Story)

Opening Procedure:

Introduce Unit 3: The objective of Unit 3 is to add annotation and story to your map that makes explicit how it supports dialogue towards Land Back. Specifically, add context about how your critical reimagining of the Archive presents opportunities for awareness, advocacy, and/or action for Indigenous people and Tribal rights. Unit 3 also includes finalizing your map and visualization, including all layers, symbols, and labels, as well as preparing your reflection (presentation or essay).

Provide a Background Presentation on Land Back (Optional)

Before completing your creative mapping, take a moment to “press pause” and consider the following questions meeting the Reflect (Evaluate) Learning Objective above:

How does your reassembled map reimagine the landscape and how does this new understanding of space support Land Back? Add this description to your map.
How could you use your reassembled map to create productive dialogue towards Land Back? What annotation and story can be added to your map to build awareness of this dialogue?
How could the reassembled map be used to hold beneficiaries of dispossession accountable? What annotation and story can be added to your map to advocate for accountability?
What are the continued limitations of mapping to support Land Back, and how could your reassembled map explicitly acknowledge these limitations?
How can you more fully consider Indigenous people and thinking in all of your work going forward? How can you add this call to action in your map?