Ojibwe Giizhiig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)Akota Makoċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi: Revitalization of Native American Star Knowledge, a Community Effort
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Ojibwe Giizhiig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)akota Makoċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi: Revitalization of Native American Star Knowledge, A Community Effort Annette S. Lee St. Cloud State University Abstract: project because elders are passing, some The Native Skywatchers research and programming in- simply ‘weren’t listening’ when the star sto- itiative focuses on the revitalization of native star ries were being told and at the same time knowledge of the Ojibwe and Dakota people. Activities there are many layers of social upheaval on include interviewing elders, culture and language teach- some reservations, including unemploy- ers, and creating programming around traditional native star knowledge interlaced with Western science. Star ment, addiction, suicides, gangs and lack of maps, curriculum, hands-on workshops, planetarium clean drinking water. This research and shows, and artwork have been designed and delivered. programming is dedicated to rebuilding Developed for native and non-native communities in and reclaiming the native star knowledge, light of the new Minnesota State Science Standards im- documenting it, disseminating it and devel- plemented in 2009, presented here are two native star oping it. The ideal outcome is that more maps that were created by the Native Skywatchers initi- native people have a meaningful connec- ative: the Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan (or the tion to the stars. Through this connection Ojibwe Sky Star Map); and the D(L)akota Makoċe to the stars a sense of cultural pride, a sense Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi or (D(L)akota Star Map). This in- terdisciplinary project includes professional astronomers, of connectedness and purpose is nurtured. professional artists, language and cultural experts, edu- Inherently interdisciplinary, our work in- cators, community members and elders. cludes astronomy, culture, language, art, science education, history, and community Keywords: Dakota, Ojibwe, Cultural As- wellness. The implications of this founda- tronomy, Indigenous Knowledge, Science tional work are many, including encourag- Outreach ing more native young people to graduate from high school and possibly choose a ca- Understanding that men and women throughout reer in STEM (Science, Technology, En- history of all cultures, including Minnesota Amer- gineering and Math). Currently Minne- ican Indian tribes and communities, have been in- sota has some of the lowest graduation volved in engineering design and scientific in- rates and highest achievement gaps for Na- quiry… For example, Ojibwe and Dakota tive Students in the United States (Matos knowledge and use of patterns in the stars to pre- 2015; Post 2015). dict and plan… (Minnesota Department of Education, Benchmark 3.1.3.2.1, 2009) Team-members The Native Skywatchers research and pro- Introduction gramming initiative was founded by An- Over the past six years the Native Skywatch- nette S. Lee (mixed-race Dakota Sioux as- ers initiative has addressed the crisis of the tronomer and artist) in 2007. Other team- loss of the Ojibwe and D(L)akota star members include: Carl Gawboy (Ojibwe), knowledge, among the indigenous peoples Jeff Tibbetts (Ojibwe), William Wilson of Minnesota. There is an urgency to this Journal of Astronomy in Culture 1(1), 2016, pp. 41-56 Copyright © International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture 42 (Ojibwe), Jim Rock (Dakota), and Char- Figure 2. Eleven tribes of Minnesota lene O’Rourke (Lakota). Acknowledge- http://kspamericanindianproject.wikispaces.com ment goes out to two elders who were also part of the team and who have since passed away: Paul Schultz (Ojibwe) and Albert White Hat Sr. (Lakota). What is essential here is that the team is composed of per- sons of different expertise, scientists, artists, educators, writers, and historians. This is a native-led initiative. The work is collab- orative. Due to the history of colonization, assimilation, reservations, etc., much has been lost. No one person holds all of the details of the native Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge. Many voices are needed. Land and Language Native Skywatchers is based in Minnesota, which contains eleven Native American reservations: four Dakota (Sioux) and seven Ojibwe (Chippewa). The region also the inherent meaning of the source sylla- consists of Ojibwe and D(L)akota commu- bles. For example, the word ‘Minnesota’ nities in the surrounding geographical ar- comes from Dakota and is sometimes eas of northern Midwestern United States translated as ‘Mni Sota Makoċe’ meaning (i.e. South Dakota, North Dakota, Michi- ‘land where the waters are so clear they re- gan) and southern Canada. flect the clouds” (Westerman 2012). One understanding of this is a literal reference Figure 1. Location of Minnesota in the USA. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map to the state containing over 10,000 lakes _of_USA_MN.svg (10 acres in size or larger). Another inter- pretation is ‘where the waters are so clear they reflect the sky’ (Rock 2012). This re- fers to a pairing of the Milky Way and the Mississippi River, and the teaching ‘as it is above; it is below.…’ The largest river in the area, the Mis- sissippi River, flows generally from north to south. The name “Mississippi” is a mis- translation of the Ojibwe word Misi-ziibi, or ‘Great/Big River’. (Baraga 1992) The largest city and capitol of Minnesota is Language is an important part of na- Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is located at tive star knowledge. Similar to star the confluence of the Mississippi River and knowledge, in language there are layers of the Minnesota River. In Dakota this is a meaning contained in the Ojibwe and Da- very sacred area containing, Bdote, ‘the kota words. Unfortunately, a person needs confluence,’ and Wakaŋ Tipi, ‘the sacred to know the language well in order to know cave’, which is the Dakota genesis place Lee, A. 43 Figure 3. Rivers and Streams of Minnesota, Missis- (1992). The lack of available resources, es- sippi River seen near center. pecially in light of the newly approved state standards, was one of the first areas for Na- tive Skywatchers to address with urgency. Newly Created Resources Star maps At the foundation of the current work are two native star maps that were created in 2012: Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)akota Makoċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi The Ojibwe Sky Star Map, Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan, was painted by the author and William Wilson, with Wil- son serving as the language expert. The map was based on the unpublished work of Carl Gawboy. Since the 1960s Gawboy had been interviewing elders and research- ing Ojibwe star knowledge. Gawboy (2005) was the first to identify the picto- (Westerman 2012). Here the term ‘Da- graphs at Lake Hegman, Boundary Waters kota’ is the abbreviated name of the group as Ojibwe constellations. of native peoples called Oċeti Ṡakowiŋ Oyate, The Dakota Star Map, D(L)akota Ma- ‘Seven Sacred Council Fires.’ This council koċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi, was painted by the is made up of: four Dakota bands, two Na- author. The language expert here was Jim kota bands and one Lakota band. The Da- Rock. The map was based on the pub- kota tribe is also known as ‘Sioux,’ which is lished work of Ron Goodman. In the a corruption of the Odawa word 1980s Goodman interviewed many Lakota Nadouessioux, meaning ‘speakers of a for- elders from the South Dakota area and eign language’ (Johnson, 2000). The word published his results in the book Lakota Star Ojibwe means ‘people who cook outside,’ Knowledge (1992). Several of the elders for example roasting rabbit on a fire. (Wil- quoted in Goodman’s book are part of the son 2012) Sometimes Anishinaabe, ‘the peo- Native Skywatchers project. ple,’ is also used for Ojibwe. The cor- Both maps are astronomically accu- rupted word for the Ojibwe tribe is ‘Chip- rate and visual works of art created to com- pewa.’ municate an indigenous perspective of the night sky. Located at the center of both Resources maps is the north celestial pole (NCP) and Existing Materials the North Star (Polaris), which is Giiwedin Prior to 2012 there were exactly two pub- Anung (Ojibwe) and Wiċaḣhpi Owaŋjila (Da- lished books dedicated to Ojibwe and kota). Moving outwards from center are D(L)akota sky wisdom: Talking Rocks: Geol- the north circumpolar stars. (Assuming a ogy and 10,000 Years of Native American Tradi- viewing location of approximately 40-50° tion in the Lake Superior Region by Morton and north latitude). Gawboy (2000) and Lakota Star Knowledge: Surrounding the central area are the Studies in Lakota Stellar Theology by Goodman seasonal stars. The four seasons (Fall, Win- JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 44 Figure 4. Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan, ‘The Ojibwe Sky Star Map.’ Figure 5. D(L)akota Makoċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi ‘The Dakota Star Map.’ Lee, A. 45 Figure 6. Dakota holder, part of a plansiphere. Figure 7. Ojibwe circle. JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 46 ter, Spring, Summer) can be seen written Celestial objects from western European on the outer border of the map. Each map astronomical traditions in the correspond- illustrates the native constellations in ing areas of the night sky are also high- brightly colored, clearly marked areas cor- lighted throughout the booklet. For exam- related with their seasonal association. ple, looking skyward on a fall evening, a Ojibwe constellations were painted in a person might see: the Ojibwe Mooz traditional woodland x-ray style by Wilson. (Moose), the Dakota Keya (Turtle) and the Dakota constellations were painted by the Greek constellation Pegasus, as well as, the author in a pointillist style to suggest bead- Andromeda Galaxy, M31. work. In both star maps the Greek constel- lations are lightly painted in a quiet wash Planispheres to allow the map-reader some sense of Tangible resources are essential when common ground between the Greek and working to engage communities in learn- the native Ojibwe and D(L)akota constel- ing the patterns of the night sky.