#WhyIMap: Cultural connection at the Indigenous Mapping Workshop

Will Davis is a Senior Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Officer at Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC). Will has a history of working in native title and participated in the Indigenous Mapping Workshop (IMW) in 2018 and 2019 as an attendee. 

In the lead up to the IMW 2020, we reached out to Will to discuss his previous involvement with the workshop and to talk about why the IMW is a fantastic opportunity for Indigenous groups around Australia to share cultural knowledge among each other. 

How has your background in GIS led you to be involved with the Indigenous Mapping Workshop?

After graduating from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), I undertook a graduate position with an engineering consultancy firm before building a career as a senior GIS analyst in the mining industry. 

My work in native title began when I moved to Broome for a six month role with Kimberley Land Council (KLC). This six month role soon turned into four years, and before I knew it I was relocating again to continue working within native title for YMAC back in Perth. 

Just a few weeks prior to its commencement in 2018, a friend who was working for Central Desert Native Title Services recommended that I attend the IMW in Sydney. I was aware that the workshop only had limited spaces available and I consider myself very lucky that my application was accepted in time for me to attend. 

What has been your personal involvement with the workshop? 

In 2018, I attended the IMW with a colleague and we did not participate or present in any of the workshop sessions. Instead, we embraced the workshop as a great opportunity for cultural knowledge exchange. The workshop provided us with the opportunity to meet new people we previously wouldn’t have met and create new professional connections.  

Will Davis seated next to Senior GIS Analyst, Martin Rocks and Managing Director of Winyama, Andrew Dowding

I caught up with Andrew Dowding the following year to discuss the possibility of introducing some new technologies into the workshop. We met with mutual colleagues and discussed the likelihood of adding QGIS, ArcGIS and Fulcrum training sessions to the workshop syllabus. Our discussion focused on the logistics of how we could best incorporate these new technologies into the workshop, and how they could be showcased alongside the Google software that was taught in the previous year. 

Following these meetings and training planning sessions, I attended and participated in the three full days of workshop sessions at the IMW 2019 in Perth. 

What is it about the Indigenous Mapping Workshop that makes it unique?

The IMW is a really unique opportunity for Indigenous people who work in GIS to get together and share their work with likeminded people and distant colleagues. There really is no other network or platform that allows for this same interaction.  

While there are forums for Ranger Groups to interact, these forums focus heavily on land management rather than technology. Within the Indigenous Mapping Workshop, all participants speak about the technology that they are using and the ways in which they are using it. 

Why do you believe the Indigenous Mapping Workshop is such a great knowledge sharing opportunity? 

When you participate in the IMW, you are provided with the opportunity to hear about what projects people are undertaking on the other side of the country. But more importantly, you are encouraged to create networks and build the foundations for post workshop conversations. 

Participants of the workshop also discuss the support groups that they access online for assistance with specific software. This is one example of how the IMW is not just connecting like minded individuals, but is also providing an opportunity for individuals to access further external groups and forums. 

I see the Indigenous Mapping Workshop as serving two purposes. Firstly, it is an excellent platform for learning new skills and technology in the mapping and GIS space. Secondly, the workshop provides Indigenous people with a sense of empowerment and encourages collaboration as we continue into the future together. 



Are you a current or previous Indigenous Mapping Workshop participant looking to network? Follow this link to join our Private Alumni and Members Facebook Group. 

Are you inspired by Will’s experience? Check out how you can be involved with the IMW Australia - On Demand now!