Indigenous Astronomy and What It Can Teach us
For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have studied the stars, developing rich and diverse understandings of the sky that differ from Western astronomical traditions. With cultural histories extending over 65,000 years, First Nations Australians are considered the world’s oldest astronomers, holding deep knowledge of celestial movements and their meanings.
Their observations of the Sun, Moon, and stars were — and still are — used in practical ways: for navigation, tracking seasons, creating calendars, and predicting weather. But astronomy also plays a vital role in cultural lore, social structure, and identity. Knowledge is passed down through generations using oral traditions, including song, dance, and storytelling.
A key feature of Aboriginal astronomy is the "Emu in the Sky" — not made of stars, but formed from the dark spaces between them in the Milky Way. This figure is one of many examples of how Aboriginal people read the entire sky, not just the bright points of light.
Different communities across Australia have unique stories tied to the stars, explaining natural phenomena like the tides, sunrise and sunset, and the movement of planets throughout the year. Today, Indigenous astronomy continues to grow as an area of contemporary research, offering valuable insights into both science and culture.
As astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli puts it:
“Aboriginal astronomy is a different way of looking at the sky, because you're not just looking up at what's up above — you actually take in your whole environment.”
In Aboriginal culture, the stars relate to the ‘skyworld’, an important part of the Dreaming. The most practical reason for Aboriginal people’s interest in the skies would have been in relation to the changing of the seasons and corresponding knowledge about when certain foods and resources were available.
‘There’s so much science and observations and analysis embedded within our stories, within our cultures. Everything is connected and this is something that all Indigenous peoples know, live and see every day. What happens down here to us is so connected to what’s happening up there and vice versa.’ — Karlie Alinta Noon, Gamilaraay
Further Reading:
The First Astronomers is the first book to reveal the rich knowledge of the stars and the planets held by First Peoples around the world.
Our eyes have been drawn away from the skies to our screens. We no longer look to the stars to forecast the weather, predict the seasons or plant our gardens. Most of us cannot even see the Milky Way. But First Nations Elders around the world still maintain this knowledge, and there is much we can learn from them.
These Elders are expert observers of the stars. They teach that everything on the land is reflected in the sky, and everything in the sky is reflected on the land. How does this work, and how can we better understand our place in the universe?
Guided by six First Nations Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies and on Earth, pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
'This book marks a profound paradigm shift in our understanding of Indigenous scientific traditions, how they are transmitted, and their relevance to life today.' -Professor Marcia Langton, University of Melbourne
'A ground-breaking book of enormous scope.' -Brian Schmidt, Nobel Laureate in Physics
'A glimpse into Indigenous ways of reading landscapes reflected in the night sky through ancient processes of inquiry.' -Dr Tyson Yunkaporta, author ofSand Talk
'A wonderful combination of scholarship and poetry.' -Dr Annette S. Lee, Lakota astrophysicist
'Beautiful, engaging, and startlingly profound.'- Alan Duffy, Professor of Astrophysics
Author bio: Duane Hamacher is Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne. He earned graduate degrees in astrophysics and the social sciences and has appeared on TEDx, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and many other high profile local and international programs. He serves as an expert consultant for UNESCO and works for Indigenous elders in the Torres Strait and around the world to document traditional star knowledge for educational programs and public understanding.
Published: 1 March 2022
ISBN: 9781760877200
Pages: 304