Map Sources
Nations Amies et Ennemies des Tchikachas
Indigenous Knowledge map as conveyed by a member of the Chickasaw Nation in the 18th century. This map shows the emphasis on social networks and relationships within the landscape.
A map of the State of Kentucky: from actual survey; also part of Indiana and Illinois
Detail from an 1818 map cartouche that depicts surveyors "claiming land" through the generation of maps and surveying. In the background an Indigenous group is being displaced.
Historical Maps
As outsiders, archaeologists must acknowledge inherent and personal biases in the sources of information we utilize. Historical maps, while incredibly useful for visualizing landscapes, distributions, and locations in the past, also exhibit incredible prejudices. Mapmakers draw maps to fulfill a purpose or agenda, explicitly or implicitly, such that the information presented or omitted, the symbology utilized, and even the scale are imbued with this purpose/agenda, as well as the culture of the mapmaker.
Native knowledge of the landscape, its hazards and resources, social and political relationships, and actions and symbols, is recognized in Native American Studies such that “Land” is a fundamental premise. In turn, Native knowledge of the landscape was invaluable to Europeans. Waselkov (1989:293) relates stories of Europeans asking for cartographic information from Native peoples and their astonishment, irritation, and frustration with obtaining desired knowledge. Among the many things lost to the historical record, is how much mutual understanding of the cartographic symbology from numerous cultures that went into producing the maps that have survived. Did the English understand that paths depicted as trailing off represented war paths, and solid paths were trading routes? Did they comprehend that their ability to “label” places as their own was the same ethnocentric practice as placing one’s own tribe at the center of a map?
Regrettably, only a few maps created by the Indigenous peoples of the Southeast survive to the present day. Consequently, we heavily rely on maps created by Europeans, many of which were either based on Indigenous Knowledge or were direct copies of maps drawn by Native peoples. While these versions are undoubtedly biased, they still offer valuable insights and can aid in our understand of past landscapes, social organization, structures, migrations, and the social and economic conditions at specific points in the past. However, it is crucial to remember that these historical sources are not comprehensive representations of the past, as they are inherently influenced by the perspectives and agendas of their creators.
