{"id":423291,"date":"2022-03-29T17:30:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T14:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/unpacking-first-nations-knowledge-of-the-skies\/"},"modified":"2022-03-29T17:30:01","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T14:30:01","slug":"unpacking-first-nations-knowledge-of-the-skies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/unpacking-first-nations-knowledge-of-the-skies\/","title":{"rendered":"#Unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35efc565b60\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35efc565b60\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/unpacking-first-nations-knowledge-of-the-skies\/#%E2%80%9CUnpacking_First_Nations_knowledge_of_the_skies%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CUnpacking_First_Nations_knowledge_of_the_skies%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/supernovas-auroral-sou.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2022\/supernovas-auroral-sou.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Allen &amp; Unwin Publishers\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/supernovas-auroral-sou.jpg\" alt=\"Supernovas, auroral sounds and hungry tides: unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies\" title=\"Credit: Allen &amp; Unwin Publishers\" width=\"600\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Allen &amp; Unwin Publishers<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Duane Hamacher&#8217;s &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allenandunwin.com\/browse\/books\/academic-professional\/cultural-studies\/The-First-Astronomers-Duane-Hamacher-with-Elders-and-Knowledge-Holders-9781760877200\">The First Astronomers<\/a>&#8221; explores the deep and living star knowledge of First Nations people from around the world\u2014and challenges the notion that Indigenous knowledge is not scientific.<\/p>\n<section class=\"article-banner first-banner ads-336x280\">\n         <!-- \/4988204\/Phys_Story_InText_Box --><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>This magnificent book is the latest in a growing body of work showcasing Indigenous knowledge of the natural world. <\/p>\n<p>It follows other popular texts, including Bill Gammage&#8217;s The Biggest Estate on Earth (2011), Bruce Pascoe&#8217;s widely debated and important Dark Emu (2014), <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nla.gov.au\/stories\/blog\/behind-the-scenes\/2019\/07\/04\/writing-australias-first-naturalists\">Australia&#8217;s First Naturalists<\/a> (2019) by Penny Olsen and Lynette Russell, and the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thamesandhudson.com.au\/the-first-knowledges-series\/\">First Knowledges series<\/a> edited by Margo Neale. <\/p>\n<p>Astrophysicist Hamacher has been guided by Elders and Knowledge Holders Ghillar Michael Anderson, Segar Passi, John Barsa, David Bosun, Ron Day and Alo Tapim. <\/p>\n<p>This book developed from a collaboration with Torres Strait Islander scholar <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arc.gov.au\/news-publications\/media\/research-highlights\/indigenous-researcher-professor-martin-nakata-improving-educational-outcomes-indigenous-higher\">Professor Martin Nakata<\/a>, a leading authority on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/aiatsis.gov.au\/publication\/35550\">the intersection of Indigenous and Western ways of knowing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s stunning in scope, impressive in detail and accessible in style.  For readers with no background in astronomy (like me), terms are clearly explained. <\/p>\n<p>Importantly, Hamacher reflects on what he is learning throughout, demonstrating his willingness to listen and learn. His example reminded me to reflect on my own assumptions about different ways of knowing. <\/p>\n<p><b>Challenging Western scientific knowledge<\/b><\/p>\n<p>First Nations people have been observing the skies for millennia. This book recognizes that Indigenous and Western ways of knowing can work together. Indigenous astronomy has often challenged Western scientific knowledge, motivating further scientific inquiry. <\/p>\n<p>For example, auroras have long been witnessed by First Nations people, both in high latitudes near the Arctic and low latitudes in Aoteoroa\/New Zealand and Australia. First Nations people have reported auroras sounding like &#8220;rustling grass, or a person walking through snow.&#8221; S\u00e1mi\u2014the indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway\u2014refer to auroras as <i>guovssahas<\/i>, meaning &#8220;the light you can hear.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>The Western scientific community was dismissive of these &#8220;auroral sounds.&#8221; But in 2016 a group of Finnish scientists, guided by S\u00e1mi and Inuit traditions, confirmed that they exist.<\/p>\n<p><b>The movement of the planets and the twinkling of the stars<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Another concept that First Nations people understood early was the relative motion of the planets, including <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov\/docs\/StarChild\/questions\/question46.html\">retrograde motion<\/a>, when a planet <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears to move backwards in the sky owing to its relative position to Earth. <\/p>\n<p>Winifred Buck, an Ininew Elder from Manitoba, Canada, explains that retrograde motion is referred to as <i>mooswa acak<\/i> or &#8220;moose spirit,&#8221; because a moose is inclined to circle back when startled, in the same way that Mars appears to be circling back during retrograde motion.<\/p>\n<p>In the most intriguing chapter, Hamacher describes how the twinkling (scintillation) of stars\u2014a source of frustration in Western astrophysics\u2014has been harnessed by First Nations people to understand atmospheric conditions. <\/p>\n<p>For example, for the people of Mabuyag in the Torres Strait, stellar twinkling indicates heavy wind, temperature change and approaching rain. The Wardaman of the Northern Territory use this twinkling to predict the approach of the wet season. <\/p>\n<p><b>Interpreting the colonial archive<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Variable stars\u2014stars that change in brightness through time\u2014were not formally defined as a phenomenon by Western astronomers until 1836. Yet, as Hamacher reveals, First Nations people already knew about them. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Supernovas, auroral sounds and hungry tides: unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=mYr7ZCn04eA\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"65,000 years\u2014the great history of Australian Aboriginal Astronomy. Credit: Kirsten Banks, TEDxYouth@Sydney.\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2022-03-29T06:42:19-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mYr7ZCn04eA\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/mYr7ZCn04eA\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"65,000 yrs - the great history of Australian Aboriginal Astronomy | Kirsten Banks | TEDxYouth@Sydney\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mYr7ZCn04eA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up mt-4\" itemprop=\"caption\">65,000 years\u2014the great history of Australian Aboriginal Astronomy. Credit: Kirsten Banks, TEDxYouth@Sydney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Irish anthropologist Daisy Bates spent nearly two decades in Kokatha Country at Ooldea Mission in the Great Victoria Desert, where she recorded local oral traditions, including star stories, which were published throughout the 1920s. Bates recorded the story of Nyeeruna (Orion), a man in the stars, who pursued the young Yugarilya sisters. <\/p>\n<p>She struggled to explain the stars that brightened and faded in the story, wrongly attributing them to &#8220;emissions from nebulae.&#8221; Unbeknown to Bates, she was recording traditional knowledge of the variable nature of Betelgeuse and Aldebaran.<\/p>\n<p>This raises an important point. Where specialist knowledge of First Nations people has been recorded by Western observers like Bates, early ethnographies need to be revisited and reassessed by those with relevant knowledge. This is a point that has been raised before, in books such as Dark Emu.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, traditional knowledge also recognized novas, supernovas and supernova imposters. In 1847, William Stanbridge recorded Boorong observations of what (according to Hamacher) must have been the Great Eruption of Eta Carinae, which was incorporated into pre-existing oral traditions as a female crow. <\/p>\n<p><b>The strength of oral traditions<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In many examples throughout the book, Hamacher shows how oral traditions have captured and transmitted Indigenous knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>First Nations people possessed a complex understanding of positional astronomy, which was used to navigate the land and sea. They understood how cardinal points can be discerned from the stars. In the Torres Strait, the gills of the shark constellation known as Beizam (the Big Dipper in the northern hemisphere) are used to orient north. <\/p>\n<p>Long-distance <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> routes are also mapped via the stars, with waypoints on land committed to memory. Travelers &#8220;sing the land,&#8221; instilling a memory of the journey. Hamacher reveals that many paths and roads imposed by European colonists overlay existing Songlines and pathways: for example, the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains. <\/p>\n<p>In his final chapter, &#8220;The Falling Stars,&#8221; Hamacher explores the cultural significance and memories associated with shooting stars and meteorite impacts. For many First Nations people, shooting stars are thought to mark the departure of a soul. <\/p>\n<p>The incredible intergenerational memory associated with the formation of what are today known in Arrernte language as Tatyeye Kepmwere (the Henbury Craters, on the boundary of Arrernte and Luritja lands in the Northern Territory) is also detailed. <\/p>\n<p>Aboriginal people had long known that the 15 craters were created by meteorite impact. <\/p>\n<p>In 1921, prospector James Mitchell asked a local Aboriginal man to accompany him to the site and the man refused, explaining in Luritja language that was where &#8220;a fiery devil ran down from the Sun and made his home in the Earth.&#8221; In 1931, a geologist established the craters as a meteorite impact site. Radiometric dating has since confirmed that the craters are 4,200 years old. <\/p>\n<p><b>Recognizing Indigenous knowledge<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Hamacher closes his book by acknowledging the expanding cohort of Indigenous people currently working in astronomy. One is Dr. Stacy Mader, a Gidja Man who works for the CSIRO at Parkes Observatory in New South Wales. Another is Kirsten Banks, a Wiradjuri woman, Ph.D. Candidate in astrophysics at UNSW, and TEDx speaker. <\/p>\n<p>Karlie Noon and Krystal Di Napoli, Gomeroi women pursuing and holding qualifications in astrophysics, have co-authored <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thamesandhudson.com.au\/product\/astronomy-sky-country\/\">Sky Country<\/a> (2022), a book in the First Knowledges <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>As an outcome of a 2016 working group, over a hundred star names from Indigenous languages were assigned to visible stars by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). In 2017, the organization <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2018-01-15\/star-from-the-southern-cross-now-has-aborginal-name\/9331190\">formally approved<\/a> the Wardaman name, <i>Ginan<\/i>, to the fifth-brightest star in the Southern Cross (Epsilon Crucis). <\/p>\n<p>Hamacher also recognizes the importance of incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into school curricula, such as Professor Marcia Langton&#8217;s education modules for secondary schools in the areas of fire, water and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/indigenousknowledge.unimelb.edu.au\/curriculum\/resources\/indigenous-astronomy-and-the-solar-system\">astronomy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The First Astronomers contains three key messages. Firstly, many so-called Western scientific &#8220;discoveries&#8221; have long been known by First Nations people, a point which echoes the message of other popular <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nla.gov.au\/stories\/blog\/behind-the-scenes\/2019\/07\/04\/writing-australias-first-naturalists\">texts<\/a>. Secondly, early ethnographies which include First Nations specialist knowledge, need to be interpreted by those with relevant knowledge of the subject material. Finally, the complex, scientific and long-established knowledge of the sky held by First People is retained through the strength of oral traditions.<\/p>\n<p>And as Hamacher states, &#8220;there is a great deal more we can learn if we simply listen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__explore my-4 d-print-none\">\n<p>                                            Aboriginal traditions describe the complex motions of planets, the &#8216;wandering stars&#8217; of the sky\n                                        <\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"mb-4\"\/>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg>\n                                                            <use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                        <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                    <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/supernovas-auroral-sounds-and-hungry-tides-unpacking-first-nations-knowledge-of-the-skies-178875\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/178875\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Supernovas, auroral sounds and hungry tides: Unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies (2022, March 29)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 29 March 2022<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2022-03-supernovas-auroral-hungry-tides-nations.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2022-03-supernovas-auroral-hungry-tides-nations.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Unpacking First Nations knowledge of the skies&#8221; Credit: Allen &amp; Unwin Publishers Duane Hamacher&#8217;s &#8220;The First Astronomers&#8221; explores the deep and living star knowledge of First Nations people from around the world\u2014and challenges the notion that Indigenous knowledge is not scientific. This magnificent book is the latest in a growing body of work showcasing Indigenous&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":423292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2022\/supernovas-auroral-sou.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-423291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}