Astronomy is often described as the oldest science.  For millennia, we humans have looked to the sky and wondered about what we saw there.  We charted the progress of the Sun, the Moon, the stars, and those odd wandering stars now known as planets.  We made predictions and modified our understanding based on our observations.  

That understanding is location based though.  Those that live in the arctic regions of the world do not see all the same stars, nor sky motions in the same manner, as those in equatorial regions.  Each culture had and has their own stories that relay their understanding.  

This presentation series will showcase a few of those stories, and some of that understanding.  Given the wonderful complexities of the cultures represented here though, it's obvious that a single presentation can only skim the surface of their astronomical knowledge.

To learn more about the stories in the stars, here are some resources that may help.  First hand accounts collected by elders, or stories from original written sources are always best, though curated collections by widely recognized authorities are also listed.

Comprehensive Resources

Star Stories:  Constellations and People by Dr. Anthony Aveni, Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy, Anthropology, and Native American Studies, Emeritus, at Colgate University.  ISBN 9780300241280

Astronomy Across Cultures.  The History of Non-Western Astronomy edited by Helaine Selin.  ISBN 9789401141796

 The Astronomy of Many Cultures:  A Resource Guide by Andrew Fraknoi.

Figures in the Sky a website by Nadieh Bremer

Indigenous Nations of the United States of America and Canada

The Arctic Sky: Inuit Astronomy, Star Lore and Legend by John MacDonald

December's Child: A Book of Chumash Oral Narratives by Thomas Blackburn

Waa'aka':  The Bird Who Fell in Love with the Sun by Cindi Alvitre.

Dakota/Lakota Star Map Constellation Guidebook:  An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge by Annette Sharon Lee.  ISBN 9780692232545