Learning culture through astronomy

Learning about the night sky is a passion for Isabella. But on this Indigenous Peoples Day the Driftpile Cree Nation’s girl, is learning about her culture through astronomy.

At the Telus World of Science Edmonton, there has been a shift beyond Indigenous Peoples Day, to share more stories about our nights sky, from an Indigenous perspective.

“Constellation stories are a of survival as well, they help us to orientate ourselves to the sky and the land, we can understand our way, we can tell time, we can understand the shift of the seasons,” explained Natasha Donahue.

“The stories associated with Greek constellations are from the Greek culture, they tell us the stories of the land of Greece.”

For many, the big dipper is an easy to find constellation on a clear night. In the Cree culture, called mista muskwa.

“The story is about a big bully, the big bear who would rampage across the land. Steals things, eventually that bully is taken down by seven birds,” explained Donahue. “This story tells us about ourselves and our relationship to each other, and that even the smallest most meek creature can take down the biggest bully out there.”

Donahue says it’s in weaving local traditional teachings together with science that will help further our understanding of the world and beyond, and hosting a science themed Indigenous Peoples Day can show the next generation, how science, technology, and culture, can work together.

“It’s important to learn about culture and to know what they were thinking at times,” said Isabella.