Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is not just a political question: it is a responsibility that directly challenges our geospatial community. Geospatial data, maps and geographic information systems have historically played a role in the colonization of Indigenous territories. It is time to turn these tools toward justice.
This involves rethinking the governance of geospatial data on Indigenous territories, the right to data sovereignty for First Nations, Métis and Inuit, and training a new generation of Indigenous geospatial professionals.
GeoMTL is committed to this direction: starting in 2027, we will reserve participation scholarships for Indigenous students in geomatics and systematically include Indigenous perspectives in our programming.