Wiki for Minorities/Minori-Ties Programme/WfMin Toponymy Challenge 2024

The WfMin Toponymy Challenge 2024 aims to identify and map the toponymic origins of linguistic minorities in each country, region, or territory where activities are being conducted, utilizing mainly Wikidata and also other mapping tools. Events can be conducted in person, hybrid, or virtually at various times throughout the year. Participants are required to possess a low/medium level of expertise and training in Wikidata and a small approach to SPARQL Query in order to effectively participate. The goal is to highlight the variety of languages used in the names of global locations due to the influence of various cultural groups over time in a specific region, country or territory. This also demonstrates the complexity of the linguistic ecosystem in which an individual is often immersed without being aware of it.

Previous and rigorous research about linguistic origins of place names is essential and establishing objectives of what each challenge aims to map can help visualize a clearer way on how to do it. Its very likely that some mapping activities can affect others, and these is where community discussion on how linguistic information should me organized in Wikidata must take place.

Events

April 2024

• Chile: Regions and communes of Chile with indigenous origin
• Nigeria: Localities with Igbo toponymic origin

Through 2024

• Colombia: Linguistic ecosystem in Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Antioquia and Santander. Colombian map

Workshops & Discussions

• Mapping Linguistic territories using Wikidata and SPARQL by Camilo Fique from Colombia (in English)
• Property proposal/linguistic family of place name

Additional resources

• Wikidata:Glossary
• Native Land Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources such as our map and Territory Acknowledgement Guide. We strive to go beyond old ways of talking about Indigenous people and to develop a platform where Indigenous communities can represent themselves and their histories on their own terms. In doing so, Native Land Digital creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.