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Traditional Mi’kmaq Sky Story Brought to Life for Year of Astronomy PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andy Woodsworth   

January 27th, 2009 (Sydney, NS): A traditional Mi’kmaq sky story has been brought to life in a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, blending modern technology with the oral teachings of First Nations Elders.

An animated version of the Mi'kmaq sky story, Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters, is now available in English, French and Mi’kmaq to people around the world in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). The Mi'kmaq version, with an English introduction, can be viewed here.

The beautifully-illustrated 25-minute video is also available for download on the Canadian IYA website:

[Warning: these are large files! Please download them to your local hard disk before attempting to open and view them. (Windows: Right-click -> Save target as… Mac OS: Ctrl-Click or Right-Click -> Save as…)]

Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters is a traditional sky story which has been handed down from generation to generation as part of the rich oral history of the Mi’kmaq First Nation. The story links the annual cycle of the seasons as observed by the Mi’kmaq with the movement of stars about the North Celestial pole. This is the first time this story has been transferred from the realm of oral tradition into video and made accessible to such a large audience.

The story of Muin has been brought to life through the loving work of Mi'kmaq Elder Lillian Marshall of Potlotek First Nation (in Cape Breton, NS) and Mi'kmaq Elder Murdena Marshall of Eskasoni First Nation (in Cape Breton, NS), in conjunction with (artist Sana Kavanagh of Cape Breton University in Sydney, NS. The two Elders narrated the English and Mi’kmaq versions of the film, while the French version was narrated by Annabelle Welsh, a Grade 12 student from Membertou First Nation (in Cape Breton, NS) who attends Étoile de l’Acadie in Sydney. The production was made possible through the support of CBU's Canada Research Chair in Integrative Science, Dr. Cheryl Bartlett.

Following Canada’s example, many countries will be celebrating Aboriginal knowledge of astronomy alongside mainstream scientific understandings during IYA2009. The National Research Council’s Dr. Jim Hesser, Chair of Canada’s IYA partnership, explains: “We hope that this rich and vibrant story will encourage other efforts to revitalize Aboriginal night sky stories across Canada. In this way, the richness of the Indigenous sciences in Canada can be celebrated, becoming a legacy for youth of all ages, as well as adults, long after the International Year of Astronomy 2009 is over.”

Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters premiered on January 8th at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, with a broadcast to First Nations schools in eastern Canada as part of the launch of Canada’s IYA2009 celebrations.