Maps are not neutral. They are cultural products shaped by the politics of those who make them. Critical map studies note that cartography, geography and maps are intertwined domains. Mapping practices have historically served colonial power, but people now use counter‑maps and counter‑atlases to offer decolonial, Indigenous‑centered alternatives. Our research group, Narrating Cartography: Walking Technologies and Counter‑Mapping, builds on this critical tradition while embracing the creative possibilities of walking, art, digital storytelling, machine learning and Islamic ethics. The group is interdisciplinary: it brings together geographers, artists, computer scientists, scholars of Islamic law (Sharia) and literary critics.​