This counter-map traces the persistence and erasure of Wabanaki place names across towns in Maine, revealing how Indigenous naming has been unevenly preserved, obscured, or displaced over time. Points mark towns whose present-day names retain direct linguistic or geographic connections to Wabanaki languages, while others indicate places where Indigenous names have been partially documented, generalized, or rendered unclear through colonial renaming practices.

By visualizing these distinctions rather than presenting a uniform narrative, the map highlights how erasure operates at varying depths across the landscape. The inclusion of Wabanaki canoe routes, including a historic route to Plymouth for the 1920 Tercentennial celebration, further emphasizes Indigenous mobility and continuity beyond the fixed boundaries imposed by modern maps.

Ultimately, this map critiques the politics of naming by showing how cartography can both conceal and recover Indigenous presence. It challenges viewers to recognize that place names are not neutral labels, but tools through which memory, power, and belonging are negotiated.

Picture Source: “Tercentennial Old Town to Plymouth,” Plymouth 400 (image), accessed November 12, 2025. https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/629a3c00e39f704654cc61fd/633c673e46570d71aa2de49f_tercentennial%20old%20town%20to%20plymouth.jpg