Indigenous lands in Canada added to Google Maps

Google has mapped thousands of indigenous lands in Canada.

Google Canada employee Tara Rush says the company has been conducting mapping workshops with indigenous communities since 2014.

She says Google employees were asked why the lands weren't on Google Maps, so they decided to change that.

Rush says over 3,000 indigenous lands, reserves and territories have been added to Google Maps and Google Earth.

She says it's an important step in accurately reflecting Canada to Canadians and the world.

Rush says the goal is to enhance cultural preservation, digital awareness and land management.

"The hope is to use tools like Google Earth to preserve knowledge and to update Google Maps to reflect federally-recognized Canadian territories," said Rush, who works at Google in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., and is from the Akwesasne territory.