Waiting for the East Wind: An Analysis of Marshallese Stick Charts and their Connection to Maritime Space

This dissertation explains stick charts from the Marshall Islands and how each one is unique to the navigator who created it. Stick charts are navigational tools that map the ocean's geography by illustrating how the atolls interrupt the ocean swells without giving any significant detail to the landmasses themselves. Examining these instruments may lead to an understanding of how the Marshallese people perceive maritime space. The stick charts are frequently compared to cartesian maps and t...