Counter Map
View FullscreenMy previous map exhibited several Maine towns that were named to commemorate the decolonial efforts of other countries. However, that sentiment is not necessarily reflected in these towns histories that are riddled when settler colonial expansion and encroachment on indigenous territories. This map aims to reveal the contradictions within these towns.
My base map exhibits Indigenous territories in Maine and the Northeast region. On top of this map are colonial maps from the towns Belgrade, Peru, Mexico, Denmark, and Moscow. Within the titles of these towns are the names of the native boundaries they reside over.
My counter-map interrupts colonial maps of Maine towns that were named in solidarity or sympathizing with the independence of grievances of places abroad. Indigenous erasure in the state of Maine has omitted their visibility and historical legacy. The map forces the audience to confront Maine's history of Indigenous erasure as viewers navigate through the maps of these towns named in solidarity.
These maps reveal Maine's history of settler colonialism and the cracks within the dominant perspectives in Maine. The viewers most confront the silenced voices of indigenous people as they grapple with the meanings behind these towns colonial names. I put the names of the indigenous territories that reside in the areas the town Peru, Mexico, Denmark, Belgrade, and Moscow are located. I chose put the names of the territories underneath the brief descriptions of the town to remind the reader of the invisible presence of Indigenous life that is omitted from the historical maps. This is important in my narrative map because its exhibits how colonial narratives erase the visibility and acknowledgement of Indigenous lifestyles and presence.
Land has been a site of contention domestically for Mainers and Indigenous people. It is evident prominent figures in Mainer sympathized with social movements abroad but not domestically.
The point of this map is to persuade the viewer to be reflexive. One most consider their own position and the position their subject of research is in as they grapple with power dynamics and settler colonialism. I included the Guarani settlement in Jaragua and the Quilombolo Kaonge to reflect the shared transnational struggle of indigenous communities against colonial entities. This will help the viewers put into perspective how violent, pervasive, and repressive settler colonialism is.
I included a point to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania were many children from Wabanaki tribes were sent to in the late 19th century. Alongside territory loss was the removal and displacement of Indigenous bodies. I felt this was important to reflect on my map to counter the colonial narrative that Indigenous people just disappeared from the land or died of disease and thats why they're seldom represented in history. In reality, genocide, forced displacement, loss of ancestral territory contributed to the erasure of Indigenous territory, culture, and lifestyles.
The map reveals the transnational struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and rights around the world. A major component of Indigenous sovereignty is land recognition. This has been a major instrument in not only territory loss and but the destruction of indigenous life. This is shared struggle that many indigenous and independent states face. I made two records, one detailing the pervasiveness of treaties brokered between colonial and indigenous entities and another highlighting the federal recognition of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in the 1970s. I connected lines between these records to the points I placed on the Guarnai territory in Jaragua and the Quilombolo Kaonge in Bahia to exhibit these groups shared struggle for state recognition. It also is important to note that even being recognized by the state has not prevented these groups from the encroachment and harm of colonial society.
https://belgradehistoricalsociety.org/about-us-2/the-history-of-belgrade/
https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/western-maine/oxford/denmark/
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/tag/french-and-indian-wars/page/3/
https://www.gov.br/secom/en/latest-news/2024/10/brazil-demarcates-seven-indigenous-lands-in-state-of-sao-paulo
https://wabanaki.com/me_land_claims/
https://www.ictj.org/sites/default/files/subsites/maine-wabanaki-truth/
Moscow (town in solidarity)
Denmark (town in solidarity)
Belgrade (town in solidarity)
Peru and Mexico (towns in solidarity)