Muyar — Wind

Muyar

Ever since human existence, we have looked to the skies for answers and as such, stories have been passed down, creating an oral history dating back to when our Lore, customs and vast knowledge of the universe began. There are even ancient cave paintings that tell the stories of giant mythical beings that live beyond our planet, which has shaped the view of what lies in outer space. These stories are very cryptic in nature, but demonstrate how our First Laws hold the secrets to the universe. In order to gain insight you need the right to pass just as you need a degree or diploma in STEM to practice science. First Science is very sophisticated and has baffled Western scientists for many years. Even today, the way the First Scientists formed their science and design thinking continue to stump top Western scientists. There is increasing acceptance of First Science practices from Western scientists. The world’s top scientists are calling on governments to work with communities to collaborate in developing collective science and technology solutions to tackling climate change. • Read the Careers with STEM: Indigenous article ‘Out of this world STEM careers’ p12 with profiles of astronomers Karlie

Noon and Kirsten Banks. bit.ly/3vaEqit • Read about the book by Duane Hamacher written with Indigenous elders: How Indigenous Elders read the stars

thefirstastronomers.com

Culture & Governance

Indigenous peoples’ knowledge of the sky has paved the way for the first laws and culture to thrive and survive the harshest environments on the planet. The emu is symbolic of the various seasons and changes in the environment and ecologies in lands of Gomiliari and Wiradjuri. The emu in the sky is not just a story but rather the first evidence of knowledge of dark matter and its impact on the planet making First Nations Science vitally important to humanity. First Nations Astronomy is very different from Western astronomy in that it is holistic and directly links to the impacts the sky has on land and culture. Read more: aboriginalastronomy.com.au and iau.org First Nations science naming conventions are vitally important as they reflect on the impact the sky has on the lands and peoples and how we are starting to see these types of changes in the astronomy sector. In recent years the International Astronomical Union have diversified their approach to the naming convention of stars and planets to be more inclusive and diverse. A little known fact is that First Nations astronomy is linked to the invention of the returning boomerang due to the First Astronomers obvserving planets in rotation and discovering science of torque - making them the First Inventors. • Investigate science and technology concepts within Aboriginal astronomy that has an impact on our knowledge, culture and science understanding.

Arts & Communication

Watch and summarise the following videos: • Kirsten Banks’ Ted talk: youtube.com/watch?v=mYr7ZCn04eA • Karlie Noon: The Feed: youtube.com/watch?v=BuFrnm3RytA Can you find other inspiring Indigenous role models working in astronomy?

First Science

What tools or technology could you use to sustain a water supply using science knowledge found in nature? Examples include covering the water with bark or algae to protect it from evaporation. Design a science inquiry that uses Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

CURRICULUM LINKS

Year 7/8 — Science knowledge can develop through collaboration across the disciplines of science and the contributions of people from a range of cultures (ACSHE223)

Year 7 — Predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and eclipses, are caused by the relative positions of the sun, Earth and the moon (ACSSU115)

Year 10 — The universe contains features including galaxies, stars and solar systems, and the Big Bang theory can be used to explain the origin of the universe (ACSSU188)