As the Arctic warms at four times the global average, Indigenous communities face the dual pressures of permafrost thaw and encroaching industrial development. This presentation explores how Woodwell Climate Research Center’s Permafrost Pathways project utilizes the co-production of maps—a synthesis of Indigenous Knowledge and Western geospatial science—to transform GIS from a top-down surveillance tool into a bottom-up mechanism for land-use advocacy.
Through case studies spanning the Arctic, we will demonstrate our approach to geospatial training workshops. We partner with the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR), a Reindeer Herding and Resilience project where Sámi reindeer herders use GIS to visualize how infrastructure fragments migration corridors. In Alaska, participants use GIS and drone imagery to document extreme weather impacts and brief policymakers on adaptation needs.
Our Alaska based GIS training workshops are centered around "map share-outs," where Indigenous partners lead the narrative of their own data. Attendees learn how building geospatial fluency empowers local stewards to visualize climate impacts, document cultural boundaries, and defend their lifeways.
Beyond training events, we cultivate lasting partnerships to provide map and storytelling support. The authors will detail a co-produced map with a Sámi reindeer herding family that visualizes how climate change and industry fragment land and reindeer herders’ migrating activity. By blending climate science with Indigenous knowledge and rights, the map translates complex forces into an accessible narrative for general audiences. Ultimately, this collaborative model serves as a blueprint for equitable climate adaptation and cultural resilience across the global permafrost zone.