Science & the Sacred: Wonders in the Sky Above & on Earth Below

Wilfred Buck, Science Facilitator, Educator, Cree Elder and Ceremonial Leader; Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, retired. Wilfred Buck has been asked by Western educational and scientific institutions to bring his Indigenous star knowledge into its work on astronomy. As commercial entities become increasingly active in space exploration, issues relating to the colonization of space are becoming part of the conversation, underscoring the need for other voices – such as Buck’s – to counterbalance these perspectives.

Robert van der Hilst, Schlumberger Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MIT, Dept. Head.

Kim Venn, Professor, Director (ARC, NTCO) Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria.

Andre Uhl, Visiting Fellow, Harvard University.

David Thom, Roundtable Founder, Chaplain, MIT.
Danny Yamashiro, Roundtable Co-Chair, Chaplain, MIT.

“Every culture in the Northern Hemisphere saw the same sky at night, and they all had their own constellations, mythologies, and teachings,” says Buck, having recently co-curated an exhibit at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. Buck adds, “Star stories are part of our belief system. Knowledge of the stars is found in many aspects of our culture including storytelling, symbolism and religious traditions.”