Story
Working with a First Nations liaison and $20,000 in Innovations funding, HR MacMillan Space Centre launched Sky Stories – A First Nations Journey Experience in September 2007. The planetarium show reflected First Nations’ perspectives of the night sky and was two years in the making. A First Nations educator spent 24 months researching and developing new connections between space science and astronomy and Aboriginal ways of knowing about the night sky. The 35-minute, multi-media show was a departure from the planetarium’s conventional space and astronomy planning. The show linked to Grade 9 BC Science curriculum connecting space science and astronomy with First Nations knowledge. No other organization had provided such a resource. The show presented the authentic voices of First Nations people and provided strong role modeling for Aboriginal youth. The project also linked with sponsors’ requests to offer more environmental-based education. The event has since been promoted during the 2007 Field Trip Fair, attended by more than 500 teachers in the Lower Mainland. The Vancouver School Board also held a professional development day for Science teachers, which included a screening of Sky Stories.
