Counter Mapping

Objectives

Students will learn about the political nature of maps.
Students will create their own counter maps of a neighborhood, street, or area of East Austin.

Essential Questions

Can maps ever be neutral? Why or why not?
What is counter mapping, and how can it be used as a form of anti-gentrification resistance?

Procedures

Part I: Politics of Mapping

Before beginning, reflect on your own knowledge.

what do you know about maps?
what kinds of things can be seen on maps? who makes maps?
what power do you think maps may hold? why are they important?

Read the following article and watch the video clip to learn about world maps.

Five maps that will change how you see the worldNothing is where you think it is.

Part II: Investigating Maps of East Austin

Explore the following maps of East Austin. For each map, think about the following questions:
- - who made this map?
  - what is the purpose of this map?
  - who is the intended audience of this map?
  - what information does it show?
  - what information is missing?
  - what biases might this map reveal?

https://creedefitch.com/blog/east-austin-map

https://cbaillustration-lovelylittlethings.com/products/east-austin-texas-illustrated-map

https://www.mapsofaustin.com/east-austin-map

https://www.austinresidence.com/ut-austin-neighborhoods/east-austin

http://www.eastaustinishome.com/neighborhoods/

After the activity, ask yourself...

What did I learn about maps from the previous resources?
How can maps show biases?

Part III: Counter Mapping

Now that we have learned more about the political nature of maps, it's time to learn about how maps can be used as resistance. This kind of mapping is called counter mapping.

Watch the video to the right to learn more about counter mapping.

Counter Mapping – Emergence MagazineJim Enote, a traditional Zuni farmer and director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, is working with Zuni artists to create maps that bring an indigenous voice and perspective back to the land, countering Western notions of place and geography and challenging the arbitrary borders imposed on the Zuni world.

Counter Maps as Resistance

Counter mapping can be used as a form of resistance, specifically in protecting land rights. Watch the video to the right to learn about how the Amazonian tribe used counter mapping to protect their land.

After watching the video, answer these questions:

What did you learn?
How did the tribe use counter mapping as a form of resistance?
How did maps hold power for these people?
How can you/your community/longterm East Austin residents use counter mapping as a form of resistance?

Part IV: Counter-Mapping East Austin

Your next job will be to create a counter map of East Austin. This map is something you could show to someone to express the value of spaces in East Austin that may not be included or highlighted on the maps of Austin we looked at before.

Plan your map:

How you do want to create it?
Who is the audience of your map?
What information do you want your map to reveal?
How can this map be used as part of an anti-gentrification movement?

Once you have made a plan, start working on your map! If you would like to make it digitally, the tutorial below can help.