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Last reviewed: 16 August 2026

GIS on the marae

A mapping hui does not need everybody staring at laptops.

For many kaupapa, the strongest GIS work on the marae happens around a large printed map, a projector showing familiar whenua, pens on paper and people talking to each other.

The GIS supports the kōrero. It should not control the pace of the room.

Prepare for the hui, not for a demonstration​

Before arriving, decide what the mapping session is meant to achieve.

Examples:

  • identify places that need further research
  • review proposed restoration areas
  • check names and locations
  • discuss access issues
  • understand hazards
  • compare historic and current imagery
  • gather corrections to an existing map

Do not arrive with 40 layers and ask people what they think of the GIS.

Bring familiar context​

A useful base map may include:

  • marae
  • awa and coastline
  • roads needed for orientation
  • familiar settlements
  • maunga or ridgelines
  • approved ingoa wāhi
  • recent imagery
  • a historical image or map where relevant

Keep the visual hierarchy simple enough that people can orient quickly.

See Decolonising the basemap.

Use large paper​

A1 or A0 paper can work extremely well for a group.

Useful practices:

  • print several copies if groups will work separately
  • leave margin space for notes
  • put a clear date and version on every sheet
  • include a simple map ID so photographs can be matched later
  • use pencils or removable notes for tentative discussion if that matters
  • distinguish proposed information from confirmed information

Paper lowers the technical barrier and makes it easier for several people to work at once.

A projector has a different job​

Use the projector for things paper does poorly:

  • zooming between scales
  • comparing dates of imagery
  • switching a layer on and off
  • viewing 3D terrain
  • testing a suggested location
  • checking an external public source

Avoid live-editing the authoritative dataset during fast kōrero unless the process has been agreed and somebody is recording context properly.

A click on a map can look more final than the conversation actually is.

Explain what will happen to the mark-ups​

Before people write on maps, say what happens next.

For example:

  • the marked maps will be photographed and retained as working records
  • proposed locations will be digitised into a review layer
  • no names will be published without another review
  • sensitive notes will not be copied into the general GIS
  • the revised map will come back to a later hui

People should not have to guess whether a handwritten note will become a permanent database record.

Do not collect everything​

A good facilitator may hear information that is useful but outside the kaupapa.

Resist the urge to capture it all.

If somebody shares sensitive kōrero, it may be enough to record:

Further kōrero exists. Follow up through the agreed person or group.

The fact that information arose during a mapping hui does not make it GIS data.

Use a proposed layer​

Keep new information separate from maintained or approved layers.

A simple review status can include:

  • proposed
  • needs follow-up
  • confirmed for internal use
  • approved for stated output
  • not for GIS

This lets the map support discussion without turning every mark-up into instant fact.

Capture provenance from the session​

For additions that are appropriate to record, note enough context to understand the contribution later.

Useful fields include:

  • hui or wānanga reference
  • date
  • map sheet ID
  • contributor or contributor group where appropriate
  • purpose
  • review status
  • sensitivity
  • short context note

Do not put personal names in the general layer when a hui reference or role is enough.

Return the map​

One of the most important steps is bringing the work back.

After the hui:

  1. photograph or scan the marked sheets
  2. store them with the session notes
  3. digitise only what was agreed
  4. preserve uncertainty and differing accounts
  5. prepare a clean review map
  6. return it to the appropriate people
  7. record corrections and decisions

Do not let the first digitised version become the final record simply because the GIS technician went home and cleaned it up.

A simple room setup​

Useful kit:

  • laptop with local/offline copies of important layers
  • projector and adapter
  • extension leads
  • A1 or A0 maps
  • marker pens and pencils
  • sticky notes
  • phone or camera for recording marked sheets
  • external drive if internet access is uncertain
  • a simple session log

Have an offline plan. Marae Wi-Fi should not be a critical project dependency.

Sensitive maps in the room​

Assume photographs may be taken.

If a map should not leave the room as a phone image, reconsider what is being displayed.

Options include:

  • showing a generalised map
  • using a verbal discussion for the sensitive detail
  • displaying restricted detail only to a smaller agreed group
  • not printing precise locations

See Publishing maps for hui and wānanga.

A useful closing question​

Before packing up, ask:

What have we put on the map that should not leave this room, and what have we failed to put on the map because a map is not the right place for it?

That question often catches more than a technical QA check.

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