In the Footsteps of the Traveller

The Astronomy of Northern Dene

Author: Chris M. Cannon Series: Contemporary Studies on the North

In the Footsteps of the Traveller, the first in-depth study on Northern Dene astronomy, reveals the significance of the sky and its contents to Northern Dene life, language, and culture through collaboration with more than sixty-five Dene Elders and culture bearers across thirty-four communities in Alaska and Canada.

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Teachings from the stars

Much more than stories about the sky, Indigenous astronomies provide powerful, centuries-old models for knowing, being, and relating to the world and everything in it. In the Footsteps of the Traveller, the first in-depth study on Northern Dene astronomy, reveals the significance of the sky and its contents to Northern Dene life, language, and culture through collaboration with more than sixty-five Dene Elders and culture bearers across twelve Dene languages and thirty-four communities in Alaska and Canada.

At the centre of these knowledge systems is the Traveller, a being who journeyed around the world in Ancient Time before incarnating among the stars. The Traveller constellation is a teacher, an ally, a gamekeeper, a guardian, the embodiment of the world, and a practical guide for wayfinding. Composed of smaller groups of stars named after body parts—including the Big Dipper, which usually makes up the Traveller’s tail—this central figure of Northern Dene cosmology, spirituality, and worldview also accounts for a large inventory of previously undocumented star names. The Traveller, together with a host of beings embodied in other celestial objects and atmospheric phenomena like thunder and northern lights, bridges the divide between earth and sky, instilling balance and instructing people on how to live with each other and their environments.

This study combines conversational interviews, stunning photographs of the northern night sky, detailed illustrations, author Chris M. Cannon’s own experiential learning, and a foreword from Chief Fred Sangris of Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Rooted in years of collaborative fieldwork, In the Footsteps of the Traveller leads the way to deeper understandings of Northern Dene astronomical knowledge, perceptions, and practices.

About the Author

Chris Cannon has worked with Northern Dene Elders and communities across Alaska and Canada since 2008. He is Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and serves on the editorial board for the Alaska Native Language Center. Chris is from Helena, Montana and has lived in Alaska since 2001.