From today if you’re searching across either country you’ll also see the original indigenous place names, reserves and localised information developed with consultation from traditional owners of the land – which is a really neat and needed step.
Apple has added the labels to its Apple Maps product for iOS, iPadOS and macOS for a large number of indigenous place names across Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand from today – quite literally, from the moment you’re able to read this article in fact.
This isn’t just a step of grabbing a dusty old government supplied map from the 1950s and adding whatever detail might have been available there and calling it a day in the interests of raising a little community interest.
Instead in Australia Apple’s used data supplied by Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) along with details supplied from a quantity of local language holders, language centres, Aboriginal Land Trusts, and ranger groups. In Aotearoa New Zealand, a similar process was used consulting with Indigenous cartographers and several iwi (Māori tribes) to the same effect.
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Furthermore, for groups approached, specific areas will also display place cards giving information about that area from an indigenous perspective, with (from what was shown to me in a briefing before the update went live) a mix of information covering not just geography but also cultural importance, connections to land and lore and images captured of that area by members of that cultural group across both countries.
Because Apple Maps draws from a central data source rather than being an installed “app” in this instance, there’s no specific update needed on a device end; you’ll just see the data as you use MapKit enabled products, and searches using indigenous names will now also work across those services.
The data will also be present and able to be displayed in other applications that use that kind of data – Apple’s example was a weather app showing the traditional name, but there’s scope for other usage as well.
Alex’s Take
This is a really interesting implementation of a mix of what is basically dry mapping data with a much richer cultural source, and it’s an incredibly welcome one as well – though obviously I’ve got to state that from the position of being a middle aged man of European descent, with all the cultural baggage that brings with it.
Still, it’s hard to not see this as a positive first step. Knowledge is understanding, and even just bringing up the details of an area can increase curiosity about its history, add context to an area you’re in and hopefully help to foster understanding and movement along a reconciliation path with the indigenous populations in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
From an Australian perspective, that’s something we’ve gotten wrong far more than we’ve gotten right over the years.
A small personal example: This is a supplied screenshot, but I didn’t personally know which area Larrakia referred to, so I went and looked it up. It piqued my curiosity and I learned something — and while small, that’s still a win in my book!
It’s also global, not localised, so anyone researching those areas using Apple Maps or apps that rely on MapKit data will also see these details emerge, which again aids in understanding of the traditional roles of the land and the connections to it held by the original inhabitants of those places.
But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it; Apple’s press release for the announcement quotes one of the participants, Rodriguez Pindiying, a community member from Mamadawerre.
“This isn’t just about geography; it’s about preserving our culture and ensuring Mamadawerre’s legacy for generations. Through Apple, we have the rare privilege of sharing our heritage on a global stage, reminding the world that no matter how distant we may seem, our connection to the land, to each other, and to the world is universal.”
While it’s awkward for some, it also does rather highlight where colonisation happened and what’s happened in those areas, if only because there appear to be areas that are data-rich… and others that are quite data-poor.
It is, however, something of a first step, even though Apple’s position is that it’s been working on this for years.
I don’t doubt that for a second, but it’s not a comprehensive library of place cards and data, and I’m hopeful that the work continues beyond being a simple single “PR win” for Apple.
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