#WhyIMap: Inspiration at the Indigenous Mapping Workshop
Joel D’Antoine is a GIS Technical Lead at Winyama. He developed an interest in cartography in his late teens, inspired by the large maps of Western Australia his Dad made. Following in his father's footsteps, Joel has accumulated decades of GIS experience, spending his early career mapping heritage sites before moving into data management strategy and later, consulting. Joel attended his first Indigenous Mapping Workshop in 2019 and in more recent years, has become a recognisable trainer at the workshops.
In the lead-up to the National IMW 2025, we caught up with Joel to hear why he thinks it’s the not-to-be-missed mapping event of the year.
What’s been your personal experience at our National IMWs?
The workshops are all about helping people learn how to use mapping software to achieve their goals. That’s what I love most–solving problems and working through challenges together. Often, people will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, this is my big idea! But I don’t know how to get there.’ That’s where I can come in and help bridge that gap. They bring the vision, and I show them all the tools they have available to them, and we work together to find a solution. That’s what excites me the most. Helping people achieve their goals.
Can you give me some examples of the mapping software you train across and why it might be useful to an attendee?
One of my specialties is the ESRI suite of products. I’ve covered quite a few of them across my workshop sessions.
ArcGIS StoryMaps
I absolutely love StoryMaps! This tool is incredible for preserving cultural knowledge in a rich and visual way. It’s similar to Google Earth Pro in that you can upload different forms of multimedia to enhance your story. A way you could use this software is to create a story map for each of the Elders within your community, talking about where they grew up and as you create a point for each of the significant areas, the map will zoom to that location. You can further enhance your map by including a photo, or maybe an audio recording of the Elder as they explain the area of Country you’re seeing.
Mapping Dreamtime stories is another meaningful way you can use StoryMaps. For example, you could map the story of the Wagyl and how the creature moved across the land, creating the Swan River. There’s plenty of potential applications for this software!
ArcGIS Pro
I also teach our learners how to import data and create data layers in ArcGIS Pro. For instance, a GIS Officer could support their ranger group, which is working on reducing feral animal numbers, by creating a map layer of bait placements and another layer for sightings. They can then overlay the two. What you might find, for example, is that placing baits in specific areas leads to fewer fox sightings. This data-driven approach helps your team understand where they should focus, and where they should pull back from.
What are you personally excited about at this year's National IMW?
I’m always excited to see who’s going to come. I just want to hear people’s stories and what they’ve been up to on Country. What have they achieved so far, and what are they hoping to achieve? I’m excited to have input in those conversations where I’m needed.
Why is our IMW worth attending?
Networking is probably the number one reason I’d say the National IMW is worth attending. The knowledge transfer that you get from this event is immense. And it’s not just from the training facilitators and guest speakers, it’s from the attendees, volunteers - everyone! You’ll yarn with people, and it can put something on your radar that wasn’t on there before, or you can pick up a solution that another group has implemented that could work for you. It’s going to be great, I can’t wait!
Are you keen to join Joel and the rest of the team at the National IMW 2025? We’re taking applications now. Submit yours today.