From the very beginning of the fellowship I was extremely eager to participate in the spatial mapping workshops. The reading I remember most from the only philosophy course I ever took defined map making as the process of using generalizations via simplification, symbolization, induction, and classification to construct a physical ontology [1]. This articulated an uneasiness I always feel when looking at any map. Like many of other “blue ID” Palestinians I always viewed maps as political, relative, and subjective. Moreover, even as a kid I remember being aware that maps as “epistemic tools” were designed for groups I am excluded from.
