The idea to combine the old world style of map design – complete with hand-drawn images that tell a story to data included on the map itself – led the Chickasaw Nation's GeoSpatial Information Department to a win at what was described as the Olympics of geography and cartography.
John Ellis, director of GeoSpatial Information, said the award was presented this summer at the ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) international conference. With more than 15,000 in attendance representing 130 countries, the Chickasaw Nation's map entitled "The Historic Map of the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw People" was named the People's Choice winner.
"That award represented every map in every category for the people who attended to vote on," Ellis said. "It really was like our Olympics for the geography and cartography world. These are the top geographers and cartographers in the country, so it was an honor."
Ellis said the map received such positive response from those who attended the conference that he spent most of his free time answering questions, passing out brochures of the map and visiting with other map professionals.
Previous winners of this award include National Geographic, Harvard University, the US Army and even other countries such as Japan, China and Russia.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said that the award is representative of the work the "incredibly talented" staff in the GSI Department do on a consistent basis.
"Members of our Geospatial team go above and beyond making incredible maps to perform excellent work on a wide variety of projects," said Gov. Anoatubby. "They develop tools which enable our leadership team to make better informed decisions, whether that relates to housing, roads, commerce or cultural preservation. They are very deserving of this recognition."
Ellis said this map took more than three years to design and create.
With the help of multiple departments and staff of the Chickasaw Nation, Ellis said this map does more than outline borders. It tells the Chickasaw Nation story – from early Dutch trading to astronaut John Herrington's historic space shuttle mission.
Ellis said that several history and culture experts in the Chickasaw Nation helped ensure that the detail in the artwork that surrounds the map itself is very intricate and exact.
He added that one of the goals of the design was to create a map that was a piece of art and that would reveal something new each time it is viewed.
But in the end, Ellis said it is an historic map.
"We wanted to include old world elements with today's new GIS technology," he said.
The actual map located in the middle of the drawing also tells a story. For example, the Battle of Ackia is noted on the map at the location it occurred with the correlating date. The original home removal routes also are depicted, as well as all the mounds, historic points and trading routes.
Wayne Scribner, administrator of the Chickasaw Nation Division of Housing and Tribal Development, said the map shows a great deal of creativity.
"This map shows that members of the Geospatial team not only have a grasp of the technology involved, they are very creative in their use of that technology," said Scribner. "That helps them continue to go above and beyond what many might expect."
A new 8 foot by 12 foot map is being prepared for an unveiling at the Chickasaw Cultural Center.
The award presented at ESRI was the culmination of recognitions the GeoSpatial Information Department has received in recent months.
"In 2011-2012, our Warrior Map won awards at the Oklahoma South Central ArcUsers Group, the South Central ArcUsers Group Regional Map Contest (with entries from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi), and the Mid-America GIS Consortium (with entries from 20 states)," he said. "Then we won this ESRI award with our new map, so it's been a good year for us."
To view other maps recognized at ESRI, visit: http://www.esri.com/events/user-conference/participate/map-gallery-results.html.
