20 Oct 2014

Maori map researchers look to Google Earth

7:02 am on 20 October 2014

Maori researchers are meeting with the Google Earth team to learn how they can add their own stories on to digital maps.

A workshop at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in Whakatane in November will teach Maori groups how they can include important tribal information on maps by using free online tools.

An Environmental Science lecturer at Awanuiarangi, Lilliana Clarke-Hahipene, said the workshop would help researchers add things such as wahi tapu (sacred places) to Google Earth Outreach.

She said iwi had been using Google Earth Outreach for land claims research and would now have the possibility to get an update on how to use new technology.

Ms Clarke-Hahipene said in the past maps were produced for Maori, but not by Maori, and the workshop was a chance to produce their own maps and include their own korero or stories.

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