Mapping Tribal Resources Using GIS

 To meet the rising demand of organizing current tribal information and to better preserve tribal heritage and resources, the Pokagon Band DNR is developing a fully-functioning Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, program. GIS provides the ability to perform digital mapping and data analysis on tribal attributes that are spatially referenced to the Earth; such as demographics, land use, transportation, and natural resources. GIS is simply a computer software application that integrates people, hardware, software, and data for managing, editing, analyzing, and displaying information. GIS is the 2-dimensional modeling of a very complex 3-dimensional model of the earth's surface and features upon it. 

GIS can be used to map the physical landscape, political boundaries, or identify cultural sites that are relevant to the Pokagon Band. Information can be gathered by field survey, aerial photography, or conversion from hard copy (paper) to a digital format. GIS is a means of communication between departments and staff using the map; the most universal technological tool. 

A fully-functioning GIS allows the DNR to maintain databases of culturally relevant data, transportation data (roads, bridges, etc.), Tribal demographics, the Tribe's land base (parcels, easements, etc.), Tribal government services facility locations, residential housing, commercial opportunities, water bodies, forests, land cover, and so much more!

The most important function of GIS is to maintain the geographic attributes that breathe life into the simple dots, lines, and polygons in a map. The attributes of a certain database are what seperate each feature from the other and are how the maps make sense.