Talking Sky: Ojibwe Constellations as a Reflection of Life on the Land

by Carl Gawboy, Ron Morton

Join award-winning authors Carl Gawboy and Ron Morton on a journey of discovery and story telling as they explore the night sky of the Ojibwe. From the important seasonal constellations (Moose, Panther, Wintermaker, and Nanaboujou) through wandering wolves, flying skeletons, and brave fisher, to meteors and comets, the authors bring to life the sky world of a northern people. A world that reflected not only the four seasons of the Ojibwe, but also their traditions, religion, stories, science, and day to day living on and with Planet Earth. In an easy to read and conversational manner, Gawboy and Morton describe Ojibwe constellations, tell the important stories about them, discuss their importance to the Ojibwe people, and explore their connection to the pictographs found throughout the Canadian Shield. Combining natural science and a Native peoples holistic vision of the night sky, the authors show how the Ojibwe used their observations of the heavens to not only explain events on the land, but also to create marvelous stories of great cultural and practical importance.

127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Brad Neuhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The style of writing this as a dialog may not work for everyone, but it really helped me to follow and understand the sky knowledge Gawboy is sharing, and the combination of research, observation, tradition, and sometimes best guesses that make it up. There's so much in this unassuming little book!