Calls for Papers (special): International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research (IJAGR)

Special Issue On: Geospatial Technologies and Indigenous Communities Engagement

Submission Due Date
6/1/2013

Guest Editors
Renee Pualani Louis and G. Rebecca Dobbs

Introduction
Indigenous communities have successfully engaged with all forms of geospatial technologies (including digital maps, satellite images, geographic information systems, and global positioning systems) since the 1970s to protect tribal resources, document territorial sovereignty, create tribal utility databases, and manage watersheds. As a result, the number and breadth of Indigenous mapping projects has exploded worldwide, generating numerous conferences, forums, and workshops. Topics at such events range from using geospatial technologies to showcase projects on Indigenous lands, to critically analyzing the technologies’ capabilities to appropriately represent cultural knowledge and developing new ontological structures that are more consistent with Indigenous ontologies. In the last decade, the increase of Indigenous community engagement with geospatial technologies has been fostered by the rise of special Indigenous sessions at academic and professional GIS conferences worldwide, ESRI’s integration of Tribal GIS to the ESRI Conservation Program, the emergence of resources freely available online such as networking forums like the Aboriginal Mapping Network, the Indigenous Mapping Network, and the Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD) websites, and numerous guidebooks on how to work with and/or for Indigenous communities engaging in geospatial technologies.

Objective
In this special issue of IJAGR, we seek to highlight ways that geospatial technologies have benefitted or stand to benefit Indigenous peoples. Manuscripts are sought from Indigenous communities, academics, NGOs, and governmental/intergovernmental agencies who have used GIS or other geospatial technologies to engage Indigenous communities and issues and to help develop practical outcomes in aid of Indigenous empowerment and/or self-determination. Projects described may be at any scale, and from any part of the globe.

Recommended Topics
Topics to be discussed in this journal include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Protecting indigenous lands and resources
• Gathering and protecting community knowledge
• Tribal government mediation and negotiations
• Economic planning for Indigenous lands
• Securing data accessibility
• Collaborative/participatory mapping techniques
• Natural resource management
• Land use planning for the 7th generation
• Improving Indigenous health concerns/issues
• Reconstructing past geographic conditions
• Illuminating historical events
• Incorporating critical reframing of geospatial technologies into applied projects

Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit papers for this special theme issue on GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ENGAGEMENT on or before June 1, 2013. All submissions must be original and may not be under review by another publication. INTERESTED AUTHORS SHOULD CONSULT THE JOURNAL’S GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS at http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/guidelines submission.pdf.

All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind, peer review basis. Papers must follow APA style for reference citations.Authors should submit manuscripts via the IGI Global online submission system for this special issue, at http://www.igi-global.com/authorseditors/titlesubmission/newproject.aspx. Inquiries and expressions of interest may be emailed directly to the guest editors as directed at the bottom of this document.

All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the attention of:

Renee Pualani Louis (mapdr@earthlink.net)

G. Rebecca Dobbs (grdobbs@gmail.com)