In the Footsteps of the Traveller: The Astronomy of Northern Dene, a new book by CIS faculty member Dr. Chris Cannon, will be published on April 10 by the University of Manitoba Press. Dr. Cannon, an Assistant Professor at the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies at CIS, has submitted the following article about his research and the journey behind this work. The book features nearly 60 stunning illustrations, bringing Northern Dene astronomical knowledge to life. Accompanying this article are five captivating images from the book, including the cover.
This work spans 15 years (2009-2024) of research and learning with Northern Dene Elders from 34 communities across Alaska and Canada. The inception of this research was during my previous work in education outreach at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, where I delivered a statewide astronomy program throughout rural Alaska. Cultural responses during school presentations, such as students whistling at images of the northern lights, inspired me to seek a deeper understanding of Alaska Native perceptions and relationships with the sky. A deep search in libraries and archives revealed a notable and curious dearth of Northern Dene sky-related knowledge that encouraged me to begin working with Elders on this topic. This work continued through my MA, PhD, and my first three years as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies.
A significant part of this work learned by working with Elders is that names previously documented as the Big Dipper correspond to a much larger constellation composed of numerous groups of stars, most of which are named using body-part terminology. In at least five Alaska Dene languages, these constellations cover the entire sky and provide a unifying system for naming and mapping stars.
This massive Northern Dene constellation is also significant as the spiritual embodiment of a Traveler-Transformer figure who went around the world in Distant Time to make Earth a more balanced, safer, and useful place for humans to live. Immersion into Northern Dene astronomical knowledge is to walk in the footsteps of the Traveler to actualize the ancient model that it provides for acquiring knowledge and power, relating to all things, and ultimately, how to be Dene. Those who discover the Traveler’s identity through their own experiential or heuristic learning cement a relationship to it as an ally, guardian, teacher, and model to live by.
The Traveler’s journey and legacy are indelibly imprinted in the Northern Dene landscape as the one who went ahead to pave the way for people. Likewise, his Milky Way Trail traverses the cosmos, uniting the world and universe as a holistic and highly relational system. In the Footsteps of the Traveller, takes a deep dive into different domains of the sky to show that Northern Dene models for living, knowing, and relating to the world are embedded in astronomical and aerial phenomena.
All of the author’s proceeds will be donated to the Doyon Foundation for continued Northern Dene language revitalization and documentation efforts. The book is available for pre-order through the University of Manitoba Press website and other major retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Chris will also be teaching a graduate-level class in the fall on Indigenous Astronomical Knowledge and Practices (CCS680).
