GPS Mapping Project

Putting Winnemem Back on the Map

With help from the DataCenter, the Sacred Land Film Project and the Pacific Institute, we’ve begun a Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping project, an effort to use modern technology to reclaim traditional lands and protect our sacred places from a Shasta Dam raise.

In addition to collecting geographic data and creating maps, the Tribe will also gather oral histories and personal memories of traditional sites. This will improve the cultural knowledge of the entire Tribe as well as build strong evidence for the Tribe’s cultural, spiritual and generational ties to ourr sacred places. We hope to use in this evidence to build our case against the dam raise, which would flood an estimated 40 sacred sites and essentially end our ability to be Winnemem.

We are currently raising funds to purchase a computer and hard drive to store our GIS data. You can make a tax-deductible donation here:

Check out this short Sacred Land Film Project documentary about our mapping project:

Collecting all this data will also help correct errors early “explorers” made in mapping Winnemem territory, errors that to this day are often used to hinder or obstruct the Winnemem’s voice in development projects within their homelands on the McCloud River (Winnemem Waywakit) watershed.

“It’s time to put the Winnemem back on the map,” said Tribal Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk-Franco.”We used to believe we had to keep these locations secret to protect them. But now houses are being built in places we’d never thought we see them. Development is coming, and I think we have to collect this information and decide what we need to share in order to protect our sacred places.”