8 minute read
KEEPING THE STARLORE ALIVE
Why we should preserve indigenous stories and dark sky areas
We all live on the same planet, surrounded by the same moon, stars and the sun. But there’s a difference in the narratives about it – the indigenous people in Namibia have other stories about the night sky than, say, scientists from Western Europe. How do we get to know and preserve the indigenous stories about the exceptionally clear Namibian night sky?
Most of the modern astronomical science is brought to you from a Western perspective and often focussed on the Northern Hemisphere. Whoever has looked at the night sky on both hemispheres, has noticed that even though we look at the same moon, reflected by the same sun, we see it differently. When the moon is like a banana, it is floating on its back here in Namibia. But in Northern Europe, for example, it looks more like a stand-up banana. While the same stars were used for navigation by both ancient hunters in Africa and early explorers from the West, there are vastly different ancient stories about how the universe started to exist.
We, the team currently building the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT) on Gamsberg in the Khomas Highland, are curious about these narratives and therefore pose the question: how can we contribute to the preservation of the indigenous astronomy in Namibia?
ASTROTOURISM
In Namibia, we can see the centre of the Milky Way right overhead, which means we can observe it for a very long time. Namibia has the most unpolluted sky in the world, which is why astrotourism is actually a business over here. Both professional and amateur astronomers and photographers travel from all over the world to capture the world’s clearest night sky. Every one of them will sigh “Woooooow” every time they watch the moon rise, see the Milky Way appear and gaze at the countless shooting stars.
TO THE MAX
Bringing the AMT to Namibia means utilising the clear Namibian night sky to the max. Utilising it does not mean taking it – the good thing is of course that it will always be there. However, the team wants to do something in return. Dr Marc Klein Wolt, the AMT project director from Radboud University in the Netherlands, says: “We want to support education and help create opportunities for the next generation. These indigenous stories will help us realise this as they relate to the historical and cultural heritage in the communities. Preserving them is therefore essential.”
KEEPING STORIES ALIVE
The AMT’s motto is “Open up”, which refers to opening up Namibia’s very own values and stories and, more specifically, their indigenous astronomy. There are many stories from all different tribes in Namibia and they are vanishing (virtually) at the speed of light. It is important to keep those myths and stories alive. One way of doing so is to add indigenous astronomy to the curriculum of students who study not only astronomy, but also tourism, for example. Maaike Pierik, AMT’s researcher of social responsibility in astronomical science from Radboud University, emphasises the importance to do this right: “It’s not easy, since there are many stories and no one has written them down. I feel we should add them to the curriculum, though, so that we can incorporate indigenous astronomy in our mobile planetarium programme. This would also help us to connect with local communities.”
CAMPFIRE
Ruth Moldzio, CEO of the Namibia Scientific Society and supporter of the AMT mobile planetarium project, agrees: “Unfortunately the indigenous Namibian people never wrote down these stories. They were only conveyed at the campfire, in a storytelling setting. As the Scientific Society, we want to preserve our cultural heritage and put the knowledge to paper so that they don’t get washed down, or even vanish completely.”
LOSING TOUCH
Dr Sisco Auala is an advocate for the preservation of the dark skies and its indigenous heritage for sustainable development. She is a researcher at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, working closely with Pierik, and she delves deep into the diverse, ancient stories of the universe. Auala was born in the northern part of Namibia, where at an early age she used to listen to ancient stories from her uncle around the fire and learnt about the different constellations. When her family moved when she was five years old, she lost touch with her early connection to the night sky. “And so have most people in the country, really,” she says. “Even the young people in rural areas today are hanging out at the bars or watching TikTok on their phones instead of spending quality time with the elders to learn about their cultural heritage around the fire at night.” Having a background in community-based tourism development, Auala now wants to develop a sustainable way for dark sky tourism to benefit local communities, especially in rural Namibia, and for the ancient intangible knowledge of astronomy to be preserved for future generations. In doing so, this precious heritage won’t vanish. “Stargazing has always been a part of tourism in Namibia, but without the indigenous Namibian interpretation of the night sky.” An example of such indigenous stories is one about the ostrich in the sky, told by the Ju/’hoansi – the “real people” – who inhabit the sparsely vegetated plains of Tsumkwe in the northeast of Namibia.
DOCUMENTING STORIES
Auala and her team are in touch with local communities and the idea of sharing their astronomical knowledge ignited a fire within them. “We started documenting these stories so that we can use them responsibly as a blueprint to develop dark sky tourism in Namibia. If local people don’t find value in these stories, they won’t feel the need to preserve them. But if they do see that it’s interesting for tourists, they can set up their campsites, sit by the fire and share their knowledge with people from all over the world through storytelling. This will allow them to benefit economically from this type of tourism.”
EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
The National Heritage Council (NHC) of Namibia agrees with this. According to Beverley van Wyk, NHC’s marketing and public relations officer, the AMT project could help to explore this further. “It could play a supporting role in the preservation of these dark sky areas,” she feels. “Since the majority of astrophotography and astrotourism happens in Namibia, we should make sure to protect our dark skies. The tourists that come for them are usually interested in exclusive experiences, so places to explore the night sky are set up in remote areas. The least we could do is to give back to these communities, for example by educating locals. It’s finding a balance between development and keeping the indigenous cultures within sight.”
EDUCATION
Namibia has eleven ethnic groups that each have their own interpretations of the universe and what we get to see of it. Auala feels that the key lies in educating the youth by incorporating indigenous astronomy into the curriculum of young people studying not only astrophysics, but also cultural tourism. “I am trying to find ways to add dark sky tourism to our curriculum for students who want to be tour guides, for example, so that it won’t get lost.”
PASSION FOR THE NIGHT SKY
Auala has visited the AMT mobile planetarium, which travels through the country to inspire and help educate Namibian children and communities. “It re-ignited my passion for the night sky. In primary school, I learnt about the universe, but there was no explanation of our traditional interpretation. When you cannot relate to your cultural background through education, such an education may feel foreign. If you can include diverse cultural perspectives and more holistic interpretations, it will make for a broader understanding of the night sky that will be easier to remember and appreciate. Linking modern astronomy to cultural astronomy would go a long way to pique the curiosity of young minds as they gain interest to study modern science.”
