Linking the past to the future: How a GIST alum uses 21st century technology to support his passion for Indigenous cultures
Jonathan Rodriguez
Geographic Information Science Specialist, Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Former Development Manager, Virtual Space, LLC
Not everyone is lucky enough to snag a job that falls in line with their personal interests. However, when USC alum Jonathan Rodriguez entered the workforce in 2019, he realized he could combine his deep love for Indigenous cultures with his Master’s in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST).
Rodriguez’s time at USC Dornsife’s Spatial Sciences Institute not only helped him pursue his passion, it also prepared him for the future. Graduating in the teeth of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rodriguez was impressed with how well the asynchronous nature of the GIST program prepared him for the increasingly online nature of 21st century work, noting:
“The GIST program allowed me to work remotely while maintaining a high level of communication and critical thinking methods.”
In the years that followed, he witnessed a growing demand for visual graphic mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Prepared by his time at USC to capitalize on the opportunity, Rodriguez demonstrated his abilities by creating clusters of datasets and applying them to various three-dimensional applications, improving data organization, monitoring, and storage from multiple sources. Soon, his technical expertise landed him a position at Virtual Space, LLC.
When the company consulted with El Museo de los Yaquis in Cócorit, Sonora, Mexico, Rodriguez used GIS to share the stories and histories of Indigenous people. Partnering with archeologists and museum curators, he converted Indigenous Yaqui traditions into datasets and databases, bringing physical presentations into the digital world through immersive technologies. The graphic interfaces he created allowed non-technical colleagues to engage with these historical datasets in new ways.
His work tracking modern Mexican migration and Indigenous migration patterns led him to map ancient cities, ancestral routes, and territories — connections that guided him to his current role as the GIS specialist for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. Today, Rodriguez manages the geospatial databases for the tribe’s various departments and is also a frequent contributor at IndigenousMexico.org, mapping and authoring detailed articles about the Indigenous cultures of Mexico. He credits the GIST program with giving him the skills to continue sharing his passion for Indigenous histories and cultures. As he says:
“For anyone who is thinking about applying to the GIST program… GIS can be used to support and strengthen almost any field of interest. It is the ultimate world database, and the possibilities are endless.”
Rodriguez’s career is a reminder that history is alive and well in the present. Modern day technologies like those employed in USC’s GIST program are constantly finding new ways to bring the stories of the past to light with the innovations of the future. The applications for GIS are ever-expanding.