Salish Skies: Indigenous Sky Stories

Uncover Lost Indigenous Star Knowledge

Journey beyond Western constellations with geoscientific ethnographer Dr. Shandin Pete, Assistant Professor at UBC. This powerful presentation provides an overview of ongoing work to reconstruct and understand ancient Salish asterisms, drawing from ethnographic evidence across five Salish-speaking communities in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and British Columbia.

Dr. Pete’s research highlights deeply connected narratives surrounding three key celestial formations:

• "The Canoe" (part of Orion)
• "Cast away Children" (Pleiades and surrounding stars)
• "Camas Baking Pit" (Auriga)

This exploration contributes to a crucial, nuanced understanding of a once-unified astronomical body of knowledge and illustrates the vital importance of integrating lived experience and archival research into the science of astronomy.

Speaker Profile

Dr. Shandin Pete is a geoscientific ethnographer, hydrogeologist, and science educator who specializes in his Nation's astronomy traditions. He is from the Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana, USA.

360° Planetarium Show: One Sky Project: Indigenous Astronomy

From ancient stargazers to modern sky-watchers, this film explores how the sky connects all. Featuring short stories from around the globe, this journey evokes the endless tales written on the stars across time.

Schedule

2:30 PM Doors open for check-in

3:00 PM - 3:45PM Feature Presentation: Dr. Shandin Pete (Auditorium)

4:00 PM - 4:45PM 360° Planetarium Show: One Sky Project: Indigenous Astronomy (Star Theatre)

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Telescope viewing (if skies are clear) OR global observatory stargazing if cloudy/raining

Seats are limited - Book Now!

*Complimentary admission for Indigenous guests