Long before telescopes brought the sky into closer view, native peoples around the world made astronomical observations, recording them with stories passed down through generations. The legends and oral traditions, unique to each community, were used to explain eclipses, track Mars, and much more.
In collaboration with the UC Santa Cruz American Indian Resource Center, the University of California Observatories (UCO) recently hosted the second annual Native Star Stories Night at Lick Observatory. Held this year on May 9, the special event is intended to show that this traditional way of engaging with the cosmos remains as relevant and valuable today to indigenous communities as it was thousands of years ago.
Organizers launched this program to reach out to historically excluded learners in STEM in a relatable way, welcoming indigenous high-school and community-college students—and their families—to an evening tour of the 136-year-old observatory atop Mount Hamilton. This year’s Native Star Stories Night was led by the event's founder, Madelyn Broome, a third-year Cota Robles Fellow in the Astronomy & Astrophysics Department at UC Santa Cruz.
The event follows the indigenous concept of “two-eyed seeing,” coined by Albert Marshall and his late wife, Murdena Marshall. Albert Marshall is a Mi’kmaw elder who serves as the spokesperson for his nation on natural resources and environmental issues. Murdena Marshall was a national role model for their culture, the granddaughter of Mi'kmaq First Nations leaders Grand Chief Gabriel and Harriet Marshall-Sylliboy.
As defined by Mi’qmaw Elder Alfred Marshall: “Learning to see from one eye with the strengths of indigenous knowledges, and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledges, and ways of knowing, and to use both these eyes for the benefit of all.”
The Marshalls shared this contemporary concept, rooted in indigenous oral tradition, with Native American high school students to inspire them to attend college. With only 24% of American Indian students attending college and just 19% in STEM, “UCO strongly believes that all students deserve access to empowering programs that help them see themselves in science,” said Lauren Corlies, Lick Observatory’s public outreach manager.
Keeping with the spirit of two-eyed seeing, the evening began with the sharing of Western stories and technologies. Then, attendees ate dinner and mingled in Lick Observatory’s courtyard. The walking tour began at the flagpole just outside the Great Lick Refractor, where the group heard stories of historic telescopes. When they reached the Shane Telescope, they got a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the technology used to observe the universe.
As sunset fell atop Mount Hamilton, the group entered the visitor center’s lecture hall, where Broome gave a thought-provoking presentation on two-eyed seeing. The group then sat in a circle to share stories from around the world—some passed down from family members, others from meaningful texts. As each person connected with the stories, the room was transformed from a group of individuals into a community linked by the shared wonder of the cosmos.
“I learned that each culture has their stories and the meaning they make with the relationship to celestial bodies. I’m so glad that we have an event bringing communities together to share their cultural connection with the stars,” said Piramon Kumnurdmanee, a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate in the group. “This night tells us the sky is for all and we have our own ways to identify the universe. It is just so authentic. Now we can see the intersection between Western astronomy and our culture(s) astronomy.”
After stories were shared, participants looked through the Great Lick Refractor, and as an unexpected treat, witnessed the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Starlink satellite. Adding to the evening's magic, they also saw the International Space Station.
"Standing at the Lick Observatory, I felt an overwhelming sense of intrigue and excitement, as if the stars themselves were inviting me to uncover the mysteries of the universe,” said Teen Raven MatoWi, another young attendee at the event.
The participants agreed that Native Star Stories Night is a beautiful reminder of the intergenerational bond and the importance of storytelling in understanding our connections and place in the cosmos. This event was made possible with financial support from the American Astronomical Society’s National Osterbrock Leadership Program and UCO, along with contributions from Lick Observatory and the UC Santa Cruz American Indian Resource Center.
UCO is a multi-campus astronomical research unit headquartered at UC Santa Cruz, operating Lick Observatory, technical labs at UC Santa Cruz and UCLA, and serving as the managing partner of the Keck Observatory in Hawai’i. Additionally, UCO is the center for University of California's participation in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project.
