This document discusses ethn astronomy among various indigenous groups around the world. It describes how different ethnic groups incorporate astronomy into their daily lives and traditions. Specific examples are provided for Native American tribes like the Navajo, Inuit, and Lakota, the Hausa people of West Africa, Chinese constellations used in the imperial calendar, Sundanese and Filipino star lore, Australian Aboriginal star knowledge, and navigation techniques of Polynesian voyagers. Overall, the document shows that ethn astronomy is diverse yet also shares similarities, as cultural practices are often tied to the night sky observations of each group.

1. ETHNOASTRONOMY
The People and the Stars

2. What is ETHNOASTRONOMY?
Ethnoastronomy is the branch of
astronomy that involves learning about the
astronomical system of non-Western people
(Farrer, 1993). It is concerned on knowing
how different ethnic groups on Earth see the
heavens and how they use it for their
contemporary daily lives.

3. PART 1: NATIVE AMERICANS
•Navajo
•Inuit
•Lakota

4. NAVAJO INDIANS
The Navajo (Navajo: Diné or Naabeehó) are a
Native American people of the Southwestern
United States. They are the second largest
federally recognized tribe in the US.

5. DILYEHE
The Planters
The Planters determine when
it is the proper time to plant
crops. Once it is seen early in
the morning, planting must
stop or the crops will not be
ripe by harvest.

6. GAH HAAT’E’II
The Rabbit Tracks
This constellation, which is
part of the tail of Scorpius, is
used by Navajo hunters to
determine when the
traditional hunting season
would begin.

7. INUIT
Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous
peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of
Greenland, Canada, and Alaska.

8. AAGJUNK
The Sunbeam
The Aagjunk is used by the
Inuit for time keeping. On the
day of the winter solstice, the
Sun lies directly below
Aagjunk. Even though one
can’t see the Sun as it lies
close to the horizon, the false
twilight that it produces is
centered on the star.

9. LAKOTA INDIANS
The Lakȟóta people, also known as Teton,
Thítȟuŋwaŋ ("prairie dwellers"), and Teton Sioux
("snake, or enemy") are an indigenous people of
the Great Plains of North America.

10. CANSHASHA
IPUSYE
The Dried Willow
The Dried Willow
constellation is watched from
the Winter Camps to signify
the arrival of the Vernal
equinox.

11. WINCINCHALA
SAKOWIN
The Seven Little Girls
The Wincinchala Sakowin is
watched from the Harney
Peak to warn the people on
the incoming thunderstorm
season (“welcoming of the
thunder”).

12. TAYAMNI
The Buffalo
The Tayamni is watched from
a central cairn during the “life
welcoming at peace”
ceremony every spring.

13. MATO TIPILA
The Bear’s Lodge
The Bear’s Lodge is watched
from the Devil’s Tower during
the Summer solstice, right
before the “Sun Dance” tribal
ceremony.

14. The Lakota “tying” of the constellations
Harney Peak
Central Cairn
Devil’s Tower
Winter Camps

15. PART 2: WESTERN AFRICA
•Hausa

16. HAUSA PEOPLE
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.
The Hausa are a diverse but culturally homogeneous
people based primarily in the Sahelian and Sudanian Daura
area of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, with
significant numbers also living in parts of Cameroon, Côte
d'Ivoire, Chad, Togo, Ghana, Sudan, and Gabon.

17. KAZA MAIYAYA
The Hen with Chickens
The Kaza Maiyaya is the
constellation that appears
during the onset of the rainy
season.

18. Eagle Star
The Morning Star of Harvest
The appearance of Altair at
dawn signifies the start of the
harvest season.

19. PART 3: EAST ASIA
•China

20. THE CHINESE CONSTELLATIONS
Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of
dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or
constellations, known as "officials“. The Chinese
asterisms are generally smaller than the
constellations of Hellenistic tradition. The Song
dynasty (13th-century) Suzhou planisphere shows
a total of 283 patterns, comprising a total of 1,565
individual stars.

21. In China, where the Emperor
was seen as the Son of Heaven
with a mandate from the
power of heaven to rule, the
stars were closely tied to the
events within the dynasties.
Most constellations were
related to the objects on earth
which was seen as a reflection
of that in the heavens. Detail
was important for advising the
Emperor and predicting
events. Thus, astrology led to
meticulous astronomy.

22. Along the northern sky, the star
patterns were grouped into three
enclosures.
1.Left Wall of the Supreme Palace
2.Right Wall of the Supreme Palace
3.Left Wall of the Heavenly Market
4.Right Wall of the Heavenly Market

23. Along the ecliptic, the
twenty-eight mansions
are divided into four
symbols.
1.Azure Dragon of the East
2.Vermilion Bird of the South
3.White Tiger of the West
4.Black Tortoise of the North
*similar with Japanese and Korean constellations

24. One of the most important
fruits of ancient Chinese
astronomy, the Chinese
calendar is a lunisolar calendar
which arranges the year,
month and day number upon
the astronomical date. It is
used for traditional activities
in China and overseas Chinese
communities.

25. PART 4: SOUTHEAST ASIA
• Sunda
• Filipinos

26. SUNDANESE PEOPLE
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the
western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They
number approximately 40 million, and are the second
most populous of all the nation's ethnicities.

27. BENTANG WULUKU
The Pitchfork
The rising of the Orion’s Belt
(Bentang Wuluku) at dawn
during mid-May signals the
start of the dry season.

28. BENTANG KERTI
The Garden
Together with the Orion’s
Belt, the rising of the Pleiades
(Bentang Kerti) at dawn
during mid-May signals the
start of the dry season.

29. BENTANG
LANGLANGAYAN
The Kite
Also called as Bentang Saung
Genjot (The Leaning Hut), it is
used by fishermen to know
the Southern direction. Its
appearance in the East during
sunrise is the sign of the
beginning of the dry season
for farmers.

30. FILIPINO PEOPLE
The Filipinos are a Southeast Asian ethnic group
who are identified and native to the Philippines.

31. BALATIK
The Trap

32. MAPULONG
The Group of Stars

33. CAMALYNG
The Hut

34. TIMBANGAN
The Scales

35. PART 5: AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS
• Arrernte
• Boorong
• Pitjantjatjara
• Warlpiri
• Yolngu

36. NEILLOAN
The Mallee Fowl
The first appearance of the
Neilloan in the night sky
signifies the beginning of the
egg-laying season of the
Mallee fowls. (Boorong)

37. DJUIT
The Red-rumped Parrot
The first appearance of the
Djuit in the night sky signified
the arrival of the Macassan
fishermen from Indonesia.

38. LAMANKURRK
The Girls
The first appearance of the
Djuit in the dawn sky signifies
the beginning of winter.

39. EMU
The Emu
Whenever the Emu appears
to “stand” on Autumn nights,
it signifies the beginning of
the egg-laying season of the
emu birds.

40. PART 6: OCEANIAN NAVIGATORS
• Maori
• Polynesians

41. MAORI PEOPLE
The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New
Zealand. The Māori originated with settlers from eastern
Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of
canoe voyages at some time between 1250 and 1300 CE.

42. MATARIKI
The Eyes of God
The first appearance of
Matariki together with
Puanga (Rigel) in the dawn
sky signifies the birth of a
new year.

43. REHUA
The Heavenly Guardian
Known fully as ko Rehua
whakaruhi tangata (Rehua
gives energy to men), Rehua
heralds the start of spring
whenever it rises just before
dawn.

44. MAORI
STAR
COMPASS

45. POLYNESIANS
The Polynesian people consists of various ethnic groups
that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic
languages, and inhabit Polynesia. The native Polynesian
people of New Zealand and Hawaii are minorities in their
homelands.

46. KAHEI-HEI O
NA KEIKI
The Cat’s Cradle
The Kahei-hei o na keiki is
used as a navigation guide
during the winter months.

47. HANAIAKAMALAMA
The Cross of the Barren Lands
The Hanaiakamalama is used
as a pointer for both the
north (Hokupa’a, Polaris) and
south directions.

49. POLYNESIAN
STAR
COMPASS
END.

50. 1. DID YOU NOTICE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ANY OF
THE DISCUSSED ETHNIC STAR LORES/ASTRONOMY?
WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE THEM VERY IDENTICAL?
2. HOW DOES A SPECIFIC CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF
ASTRONOMY/ASTROLOGY OF ANY ETHNIC GROUPS?
3. BETWEEN THE ONES DISCUSSED, WHICH ETHNIC
ASTRONOMY DO YOU FIND MOST INTERESTING?
QUESTIONS: