Every culture in the Northern Hemisphere saw the same sky at night, and they all have their own constellations, mythologies, and teachings,” says Wilfred Buck. Furthermore, “star stories are part of our belief system. Knowledge of the stars is found in many aspects of our culture including storytelling, symbolism, and religious traditions.

Indigenous star lore expert Wilfred Buck will give a public (virtual) talk sponsored by the UVic Astronomy Research Centre.

We are fortunate to have Wilfred Buck joining us to discuss astronomy and the deep knowledge that First Nations people have about the sky. In First Nations communities, each star is part of a story, sometimes many stories, which convey cultural traditions and knowledge. In this seminar, Wilfred will discuss his research into the astronomical knowledge of the Ininewuk, Lakota, and Anishinaabe Peoples.

This is a free public talk intended for an audience at all levels. Please distribute this invitation widely.. Questions about the event may be directed to Prof. Kim Venn (kvenn@uvic.ca) or Prof. Julio Navarro (jfn@uvic.ca).

Registration is free. Please register at:

https://uvic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pYskIDWHTrazq-4c09vDbQ

About the Speaker: Wilfred Buck is a former science facilitator at the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and an Indigenous star lore expert, known as “the star guy”. Wilfred was co-curator of an exhibit featuring constellations of Canada's indigenous cultures at Ottawa's Canada Science and Technology Museum (2018), and he served as a storyteller and content expert in the 22-minute film "Legends of the Northern Sky," shown at Telus World of Science in Edmonton (2019). He is author of Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories and I Have Lived Four Lives, and can be contacted at https://acakwuskwun.com/