NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, culture, ethnography, astronomy

Objective(s): To produce a research document (article or short monograph) discussing traditional astronomy and astronomical lore from the perspective of at least two very different cultures: that of the Ancient Near East, and that of the Aboriginal People of the Canadian Far North.

Project Description: The objective of the study is to produce a research document (article or short monograph) discussing traditional astronomy and astronomical lore from the perspective of at least two very different cultures: that of the Ancient Near East, and that of the Aboriginal People of the Canadian Far North. It is hoped that this comparative approach will provide a broader context for understanding Ancient Near Eastern astronomical and astrological traditions and practices. Moreover, the study is also expected to facilitate more general considerations, such as an examination what is culturally based in our reception of astronomical phenomena, and what is part of our shared human heritage. For example, all cultures seem to fashion constellations by "connecting the dots" of individual stars. Yet, where Ancient Mesopotamians saw mostly agricultural implements and barnyard animals, observers in other regions typically see those objects most familiar to their own geographical and economic realities. The study is based on two types of research: 1) "Library type" studies of ancient cuneiform texts and written material relating to the astronomical traditions of the Aboriginal People of the Far North. 2) Observations of the night and day sky over the Modern Middle East and Canadian Far North. The researcher hopes to meet with residents of the Inuvik area who might be willing to offer supplemental information. The project allows for cross-cultural and educational interactions across time, culture, and space. The researcher is an expert in the cuneiform text culture of the Ancient Near East, which began with the earliest inscribed clay tablets ca. 3000 BCE and continued until approximately the 2nd century CE, leaving no living informants. The project at hand involves a study of the constellations and astral lore in the writings of the Ancient Near East, against a study of the sky above the Modern Near East, and then at The Aurora Institute, observations of the night and day sky over Inuvik. The researcher is in the process of conducting research into the relevant academic literature for the traditional astronomy of the Aboriginal People of the Canadian North, and would most welcome any information that the residents and academicians of the North West Territories would be willing to volunteer on this subject. To facilitate such meetings, and to give back something to the community, the researcher would be most willing to offer lectures and seminars on research and field of study to any group or institution in and around Inuvik, or elsewhere in the NWT. Any research products from the study (papers, monographs) will be presented to the library of the Aurora Research Institute. Other institutions, such as the schools and libraries of communities in the NWT will also be given copies upon request. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 1, 2012 to February 29, 2012.