Map my Wāhi: discovering our shared heritage

About this virtual field trip

In this virtual field trip, you'll learn how digital maps can help you:

• learn about your ancestry, culture and heritage
• identify places important to you and your whānau
• understand your wāhi,or place in the world
• record and share family stories
• discover connections between different cultures.

Introduction to Map My Waahi - discovering our shared heritage

Video series

Belmont School students share te kotuku

Main themes

• Shared landmarks help tell a story about your place in the world.
• Geographic features or landmarks to include in a digital story map.
• Using digital story maps to combine location, history, culture and personal stories.

Key takeaways

• Our wāhi or place helps tell the story of who we are and where we belong.
• Physical landmarks can have deep cultural and community significance beyond their appearance.
• Understanding stories behind places strengthens connections to culture, heritage and community.

Map your own waahi

Main themes

• Interviewing family members to gather information.
• Creating timelines of historical family events.
• Mapping locations connected to family stories.
• Using digital mapping tools to create interactive story maps.

Key takeaways

• Personal and family stories are valuable sources of knowledge and history.
• Students can research, record and share their own stories.
• Digital mapping and storytelling can bring historical and cultural stories to life.

Sharing your story with Tourbuilder

Main themes

• Using Google TourBuilder (now retired) to tell stories connected to places, people and heritage.
• Student-led demonstration of a digital mapping tool.

Key takeaways

• Students can create their own Tourbuilder projects to communicate stories in an engaging visual way.
• Geopsatial tools can support storytelling, learning and the exploration of a shared heritage.

Telling stories through Google Earth

Featured expert: John Bailey, Google.

Main themes

• Using Google Earth and TourBuilder (now retired) to tell stories connected to places, people and heritage.
• Exploring Google Voyager as a model for digital storytelling.

Key takeaways

• Google Maps is for finding your way, Google Earth is for exploring.
• Google Voyager is an example of place based storytelling.
• Digital mapping tools can help preserve and communicate local heritage and personal connections to place.

Why should we learn about our family history?

Main themes

• Family stories, experiences, cultures and journeys that shape who we are.
• How people who came before us influence our identity.

Key takeaways

• Learning about family history helps strengthen identity and sense of belonging.
• Every person has  a unique story, but there are often shared connections across communities.
• Understanding heritage can help us better understand cultural diversity.

Mapping an Antarctic voyage

Featured expert: Rosanna, 2019 Antarctic Heritage Trust Inspiring Explorer.

Main themes

• Creating story maps to communicate and record adventures.
• Using GPS tools to connect stories to locations.

Key takeaways

• Mapping can help people capture and communicate journeys, experiences and heritage stories in a meaningful format.
• Personal stories become more engaging when they are connected to specific locations and visualised geographically.

Celebrating different cultures in Lower Hutt

Featured expert: Mayor Ray Wallace, Lower Hutt.

Main themes

• The value of cultural diversity in local communities.
• How people's histories shape communities.
• How councils respond to the needs of different cultural groups.

Key takeaways

• Cultural diversity brings benefits to communities, but also requires understanding, communication and inclusive planning.
• Local councils have a role in making sure services work for people from different backgrounds.
• Shared stories and histories can strengthen community connections.

Learning ArcGIS Storymaps with Duane

Featured expert: Duane Wilkins, Geospatial Specialist, LINZ.

Main themes

• Creating story maps using ArcGIS StoryMaps.
• Explore examples in the ArcGIS Gallery.

Key takeaways

• StoryMaps combine maps, images and narrative to communicate information in an engaging way.
• You can find free resources to teach you how to use StoryMaps.

Create a digital pepeha

Main themes

• Creating a digital pepeha using the pepeha.nz.
• Encouraging exploration of whakapapa and belonging.

Key takeaways

• You don't need to already have a pepeha to get started.
• A completed pepeha can be shared in a digital format as a way of expressing identity and connection to place.

The importance of pepeha

Main themes

• The role of pepeha in expressing identity.
• Connections between whānau, whakapapa and place.

Key takeaways

• A pepeha helps people introduce themselves through their connections to places, people and history.
• Knowing your pepeha strengthens your sense of identity and belonging.
• Personal connections to whenua and whānau are important parts of cultural wellbeing.
• Young people can play an active role in preserving and sharing their stories.

Sharing oral histories

Featured expert: Lynette Townsend, Historian, Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

Main themes

• Recording and sharing oral histories.
• Using digital mapping and storytelling tools.
• Exploring New Zealand's natural and cultural heritage.
• Developing geospatial skills through storytelling.

Key takeaways

• Creating a digital record of personal and cultural stories helps preserve them for future generations.
• Mapping tools provide practical ways to record, visualise and share heritage stories.

Research your ancestry

Featured expert: Lynette Townsend, Historian, Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

Main themes

• Using trusted online resources to research people and places.
• Researching ancestry and family history.

Key takeaways

• Historical and genealogical research can be useful content for storytelling projects.
• You can store and share heritage through digital mapping tools.

Core messages from the video series

1. Discover who you are through place

Places, landmarks and whakapapa help shape identity, belonging and connections to the world around us.

2. Map can do more than show location

Use digital mapping tools to help bring stories, culture and history to life.

3. Connect people, places and history

Mapping can reveal relationships between landscapes, cultures and generations.

4. Share knowledge for future generations

Explore ways to research, record and communicate personal and community stories through digital storytelling.

Overall LINZ connection

• Providing location information and geospatial expertise to help people explore and understand the world around them.
• Supporting digital mapping tools that bring stories, history and culture to life.

More resources

Find resources related to field trips and location information:

Resources for LEARNZ virtual field trips