Maps made by non-Native Ameri

[JbhB682]

Source GMAT prep

Maps made by non-Native Americans to depict Native American land tenure, resources and population distributions appeared almost as early as Europeans' first encounters with Native Americans and took many form: missionaries' field sketches, explorers' drawings, and surveyors' maps, as well as maps rendered in connection with treaties involving land transfers. Most existing maps of Native American lands are reconstructions that are based largely on archaeology, oral reports, and evidence gathered from observers' accounts in letter, diaries, and official reports; accordingly, the accuracy of these maps is especially dependent on the mapmakers' own interpretive abilities.

Many existing maps also reflect the 150-year role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in administering tribal lands. Though these maps incorporate some information gleaned directly from Native Americans, rarely has Native American cartography contributed to this official record, which has been compiled, surveyed, and authenticated by non-Native Americans. Thus our current cartographic record relating to Native American tribes and their migrations and cultural features, as well as territoriality and contemporary trust lands, reflects the origins of the data, the mixed purposes for which the maps have been prepared, and changes both in United States government policy and in non-Native Americans' attitudes toward an understanding of Native Americans.


All of the following are examples of the type of evidence used in creating “Most existing maps” (line 7-8) EXCEPT

(A) a nineteenth-century government report on population distribution of a particular tribe
(B) taped conversations with people who lived on Native America tribal lands in the early twentieth century
(C) aerial photographs of geological features of lands inhabited by Native Americans
(D) findings from a recently excavated site once inhabited by a certain Native American people
(E) a journal kept by a non-Native American explorer who traveled in Native American territory in the early nineteenth century


OA is C in this case ...but i chose B

Question : how can we be sure the "oral" reports being discussed in the paragraph were with people who lived on Native America tribal lands in the early twentieth century

The "oral" part is certainly discussed but not the italicized part about people who lived on Native american tribal lands in the 20th century

thank you !

[JbhB682]

Also, regarding C --- could this not be a potential "official report" ....

I thought its quite possible that the photographs taken were perhaps official reports ....

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

how can we be sure the "oral" reports being discussed in the paragraph were with people who lived on Native America tribal lands in the early twentieth century

We can't be sure of this. However, 'oral report' means some evidence given in spoken form, and answer B is an example of this. There could be many other kinds of oral report as well.

regarding C --- could this not be a potential "official report" ....

Yes, I agree that it could be in some situation. However, answer C doesn't mention the word 'official' and this makes it a step further away from the sources mentioned in the passage.

[JbhB682]

Sage - following up on your response (have broken up your response into two parts)

We can't be sure of this. = I agree we can't be sure of this ...hence if we don't know for sure, how can we say option B is true ...This is the reason why i thought option B was false

However, 'oral report' means some evidence given in spoken form, and answer B is an example of this. I agree oral reports are evidence in spoken form but the entire answer has to be accurate ...seems like the second half of option B is not confirmed per the passage

Yes, I agree that it could be in some situation = how would you recommend one eliminate C in that case if aerial photographs could be official reports (Official reports are listed as a source per the paragraph) ?

However, answer C doesn't mention the word 'official' and this makes it a step further away from the sources mentioned in the passage = hmmm if the GMAT included the word "official", then it would very easy to know that C is accurate but knowing the GMAT, it is always sinister

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

I found it hard to follow your post, so I edited it for clarity. Please use quotes carefully to make things clear - there's no point in simply quoting large parts of the previous message.

We can't be sure of this. = I agree we can't be sure of this ...hence if we don't know for sure, how can we say option B is true ...This is the reason why i thought option B was false
However, 'oral report' means some evidence given in spoken form, and answer B is an example of this. I agree oral reports are evidence in spoken form but the entire answer has to be accurate ...seems like the second half of option B is not confirmed per the passage

I think we have the same situation as in another of your posts. If I say "All A are B", then it's not necessarily the case that "All B are A". For example, if I ask you to buy me some wine, and you come back with a bottle of French wine, that's great - you got me what I wanted. Did I ask you to buy me French wine? - Clearly no. But French wine works fine for what I asked. All French wine is wine, but not all wine is French wine.
The same applies here. In the passage they say that maps were compiled from "oral reports". Do we know exactly what kind of oral reports? - No. However, oral reports 'with people who lived on Native America tribal lands in the early twentieth century' is one kind of oral report, and that's good enough.

Yes, I agree that it could be in some situation = how would you recommend one eliminate C in that case if aerial photographs could be official reports (Official reports are listed as a source per the paragraph) ?

If the question made it clear that the aerial photographs were part of an 'official report', then we couldn't eliminate it! The question wouldn't make sense in that case.