First Knowledges / Astronomy - Karlie Noon & Krystal De Napoli
Astronomy: Sky Country
by Karlie Noon & Krystal De Napoli
The First Knowledges series offers an introduction to Indigenous knowledges in vital areas and their application to the present day and the future. Exploring practices such as architecture and design, land management, botany, astronomy and law, this book series brings together two very different ways of understanding the natural world: one ancient, the other modern. This fourth book focuses on Aboriginal knowledge of the night skies and its connection to Country.
What do you need to know to prosper for 65,000 years or more? The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest scientists in human history.
Many First Peoples regard the land as a reflection of the sky and the sky a reflection of the land. Sophisticated astronomical expertise embedded within the Dreaming and Songlines is interwoven into a deep understanding of changes on the land, such as weather patterns and seasonal shifts, that are integral to knowledges of time, food availability, and ceremony.
In Astronomy: Sky Country, Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli explore the connections between Aboriginal environmental and cultural practices and the behaviour of the stars, and consider what must be done to sustain our dark skies, and the information they hold, into the future.
A chance for readers to see the universe through a new lens – in the eyes of to emerging Indigenous scientists – and to learn how we should share first knowledges for a better future.' — Brian Schmidt
'Aboriginal people… have always shared relationships with the land, sea and sky… This much-needed book is the tip of the iceberg of what we are learning about the world’s First Scientists… Go out, find out more, talk and listen to elders and knowledge keepers.' — Corey Tutt
Karlie Noon is a Gamilaraay astronomer and science communicator who has worked with audiences around the country for the past ten years promoting Indigenous astronomical knowledge systems and advocating for more women in STEM. Karlie is the first female Indigenous Australian to graduate with combined degrees in mathematics and science. She holds a Masters of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is currently undertaking a PhD in astrophysics.
Krystal De Napoli is a Kamilaroi educator and astrophysicist devoted to the advocacy of Indigenous knowledges and equity in STEM. She is undertaking an honours degree and researching star formation rates in galaxies. In 2018 Krystal became the first astrophysicist to be awarded the Illumina Women in Genomics bracelet, and she has curated a national public database on Indigenous science for the Australian Council of Deans of Science.
About the series: Each book is a collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers and editors; the series is edited by Margo Neale, senior Indigenous curator at the National Museum of Australia.
Titles in the series include:
Songlines by Margo Neale & Lynne Kelly (2020)
Design by Alison Page and Paul Memmott (2021)
Country by Bill Gammage & Bruce Pascoe (2021)
Astronomy by Karlie Noon & Krystal De Napoli (2022)
Plants by Zena Cumpston, Michael Fletcher & Lesley Head (2022)
Law by Marcia Langton and Aaron Corn (2023)
Innovation by Ian J McNiven & Lynette Russell (2023)
Paperback: 224 pages
Dimensions: 20cm x 13cm