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New book explores the skies with Dene knowledge

Chris Cannon, an assistant professor at the 51�������� College of Indigenous Studies, has published “In the Footsteps of the Traveller: The Astronomy of Northern Dene.”

The book explores Northern Dene astronomical knowledge, as shared by Elders from 34 communities across Alaska and Canada over a 15-year period. It features nearly 60 illustrations and presents a deep look into Indigenous understandings of the sky, including the figure of the Traveler, a powerful being whose celestial trail unites the cosmos and the Earth.

A major finding in the book reveals that star formations previously identified as the Big Dipper are part of a much larger constellation representing the body of the Traveler, with star names rooted in body-part terminology across at least five Alaska Dene languages.

Cannon began this work in 2009 during his time at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, where he led a rural astronomy outreach program. Reactions from students sparked his desire to understand Dene perspectives on the sky, leading to a decade and a half of research, collaboration and fieldwork.

“In the Footsteps of the Traveller” was published by the University of Manitoba Press and is available through its website, as well as through major booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. All author proceeds will be donated to the Doyon Foundation in support of Northern Dene language revitalization.

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