Poster: How Can the Use of Mapping Aid Indigenous Communities in Decisions Making Concerning Cultural and Environmental Resources

A Bioregion is where geography, the environment, and culture intersect. They are places defined by landscapes, natural processes, and human elements (BioRegions 2016). Although on different sides of the world, areas in Mongolia and Montana are thought to be bioregions because of their shared characteristics. The occurrence of these similar bioregions presents a unique opportunity to compare the challenges that each of the regions face. With the ever-increasing pressures of westernization, both cultures have in the past, and are currently experiencing rapid change in their cultural ways of life and natural environment. This emphasizes the need to document the landscape, cultural spaces, language, stories, and culture so that it is not lost. A composite map would act as a tool to further cultural continuity both from a local and global perspective and aid in community decision-making.