Margaret Wickens Pearce

Margaret Wickens Pearce (born 1965) is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation cartographer known for creating maps that foreground Indigenous Peoples' understanding of land and place. Pearce pushes the boundaries of cartography beyond two-dimensional depictions of static and defined spaces. She draws on a wide range of archival materials and long-term collaborations with Indigenous communities to resurface their history, knowledge, and presence throughout North America.

Early life and education Pearce grew up in Rochester, New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Hampshire College in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Geography from Clark University in 1998. She held faculty positions at Humboldt State University (1998–2001), Ohio University (2005–2010), and the University of Kansas (2010–2016).

Career and artistic practice

She taught at Humboldt State University, Ohio University, and University of Kansas.

She operates Studio 1:1 in Rockland, Maine.

In 2023, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Geography & Environmental Studies. In 2025, she was recognized for her innovative contributions to the field of cartography and Indigenous studies by the MacArthur Fellowship.