215 miles of running inspired a new app mapping Indigenous lands

In the summer of 2021, the discovery of 215 Indigenous children buried on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, reached the community of Wellpinit on the Spokane Indian Reservation.

The news landed heavily on Danny Brigman, a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians who was just beginning his routine of long-distance running at the time. Brigman noted that while many tribes had long suspected the existence of unmarked graves, the verification of the 215 remains brought the history into sharp focus for those with personal connections.

Brigman has relatives in Kamloops who attended that specific school. He described the moment as a turning point that prompted him to use his new running habit as a bridge to educate others about Indigenous presence and history.

To honor the children, Brigman organized a 215-mile relay run. During the final mile of that event, members of the Colville Tribal Council walked alongside him and other participants. He called the experience powerful and stated that it set him on a path to create a lasting educational tool.

Following the relay, Brigman began coordinating additional running challenges. He asked participants to log their mileage and then research the Indigenous lands they had traversed. The process, however, proved difficult. Runners had to switch between various websites and tracking tools to find accurate information about the territory.

Frustrated by the fragmented data, Brigman decided to consolidate the information into a single platform. He contacted Native Land Digital, a global database that maps Indigenous territories, and subsequently hired an app developer to build a dedicated application.

The development process involved years of financial hurdles and persistent work. Brigman described his approach as breaking large goals into small, manageable tasks and maintaining focus day after day. This fall, after those years of effort, he soft-launched the app, known as Homelands Fitness.

The application allows users to view the traditional lands they are walking or running on. Brigman acknowledges the app is still in its early stages but views it as a foundational step. His long-term vision includes creating a Wikipedia-style platform where tribal members can submit oral histories and share cultural knowledge directly.

Brigman hopes to shift the public perception of Native Americans from a historical subject to a present-day community. He stated that the general public often learns about Indigenous people in the past tense, and he wants Homelands to help change that narrative, even if only slightly.

The app is currently available for download, providing users with a digital layer over their physical exercise that highlights the specific tribal territories beneath them.