On this page: (Re)Naming | Narrative | Placemaking
To identify strategies and stimulate discussion regarding potential Indigenous wayfinding approaches for the University of Waterloo, precedence was sought from other post-secondary institutions in Canada (12) and the United States (4). While the following list is not meant to be exhaustive of post-secondary campuses on Turtle Island that are Indigenizing built and open spaces, the institutions examined do represent a small but growing sample of initiatives that explicitly combine the representation of Indigenous identities and cultures with wayfinding objectives in campus settings.
Canadian Sources:
- Brandon University
- Humber College
- Loyalist College
- McMaster University
- Queen’s University
- Seneca College
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- Trent University
- University of British Columbia
- University of Manitoba
- University of Toronto
- University of Victoria
U.S. Sources:
- San Diego State University
- Stanford University
- University of California, Berkeley
- Western Washington University
At the core of Indigenous wayfinding initiatives should be making Indigenous identities and cultures more visible. This is primarily intended to create opportunities for education and reconciliation but, for wayfinding purposes, the intention is to transform spaces so that they become more imageable and therefore memorable for campus users. The essential point of imageability for wayfinding is that the presence of visible and distinctive landmarks, sometimes by virtue of their socio-cultural significance, makes them recognizable and memorable. In effect, people often use distinctive features when they enter an environment to remember the location of places that they want/need to visit. From repeated encounters, they build up a store of knowledge about the locations and distances between elements within their surroundings, which in turn helps individuals make sense of their environment and move through it.
Based on the precedence research, there are three broad approaches that post-secondary institutions have used to create imageable spaces by recognizing Indigenous connections to the lands that their campuses occupy – i.e. (Re)naming, Narrative and Placemaking.
(Re)naming
When Indigenous communities engage in the renaming of places, they are ultimately reclaiming spaces from which they have been disconnected by colonial practices. Moreover, to the extent that Indigenous knowledges are rooted in place, the act of restoring or giving Indigenous names to new spaces is a way of honouring Indigenous knowledge practices and ways of knowing the world. All of these speak to the larger efforts of Indigenous communities to challenge colonial authority over naming practices and re-assert their active presence in the landscape.
Figure 1: Bilingual (English and Hunquminum) path naming, UBC Vancouver. Image credit: The University of British Columbia, UBC Campus + Community Planning.
The naming or renaming of campus spaces using Indigenous languages is the most prevalent approach among the campuses that were examined (Figure 1). The naming of spaces is the primary means that colonial governments and institutions have used to impose claims and redefine the stories and mental maps that are associated with territories. Indigenous place names are an important facet of culture and identity to the extent that they provide locations where people, historical events and relationships to the land are remembered, celebrated and reinforced. In many ways, the naming of places can be seen as both an outward and active expression of Indigenous histories and cultures.
Narrative
The second approach addresses the way that built and open spaces tell stories and thereby stimulate conversations and education about Indigenous cultures and histories. Narrative is a powerful architectural and urban design technique that uses symbols, icons or patterns to represent abstract ideas or tell stories in a subtle, metaphorical way. For instance, a designer could employ narrative techniques through material choices. The use of rough, natural materials on an external building surface may suggest a connection to the natural world, while the use of refined, manufactured materials may evoke a sense of modernity and innovation. Alternatively, graphic forms of art, symbolism or iconography can be used to represent stories about an Indigenous People’s origins, moral teachings or clan relationships (Figure 2). When Indigenous narratives are embodied within a space, they empower a community to impact the way that an environment is experienced, encourage reflection and convey knowledge about their connection to that place, and impart an imageable experience to those who encounter it.
Figure 2: Indigenous cultural markers at Humber College. Image credit: BrookMcIlroy.
Placemaking
Placemaking considers how a campus provides settings for activities and, more importantly, landmark settings (e.g. gathering spaces, art displays, healing gardens) that campus users can readily remember, wish to be and to which they want to return (Figure 3). For Indigenous members of a campus community, the design of memorable places should contribute to the feeling of campus as home and include elements that remind them of their home communities beyond the institutional setting.
Figure 3: Indigenous learning circle. Image credit: McMaster University.
In addition, according to the Indigenous Place Making Council of Canada, “placemaking should be a collaborative process towards reconciliation aimed at creating places that restore Indigenous visibility in Canadian society…”. What sets Indigenous placemaking apart from conventional placemaking approaches is that it is an active and ongoing process that requires the direct participation of Indigenous Peoples and communities in the design, creation, stewardship and interpretation of culturally meaningful settings.
Ultimately, place is about relationship to land. Placemaking is a way of acknowledging that relationship and embodying the notion that land has been and continues to be important to Indigenous Peoples.