First Knowledges Astronomy: Sky Country

by Krystal De Napoli, Margo Neale (Editor)

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 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Australia, Indigenous, Science, Astronomy, History, Space

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2022

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been upping my game on reading Aboriginal authors and damn there's some great stuff out there in any genre, for anyone.

I was in Big W when I spied this book. It's a series of non-fiction titles sponsored by the Australian National Museum by Aboriginal authors on a range of knowledge areas. This one is First Nations Astronomy.

Deep in all our pasts is knowledge of the interconnection between sky, sea and land that has faded for recent generations.

This interconnected ness is kept alive for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through an extraordinary oral tradition that survives Millenia.

Within the stories preserved in songlines, dance and dreaming a are layers of information memorable enough to ensure the information within survives the centuries.

The stickiness of this oral tradition and indigenous Ways of Knowing is most impressive when modern astronomers can learn about past astronomical events from songlines.

This fabulous small book has reminded me what we gain from listening deeply to the oldest living culture on earth and realising that for all our so called modernity there is so much more we can learn and how important it is to include this knowledge alongside western learning traditions.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The skies, like the land, are libraries of archived knowledge essential for an oral culture, where each star cluster or constellation forms recognisable images triggering stories that release required knowledge." A pleasingly dense little book about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy. This one is geared for the non-astronomer, and runs through the importance of various astronomical phenomena for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and explores how stargazing, ceremony and story are woven together in culture. I was surprised to discover that dark constellations - those formed not by stars but by the spaces in which they are not visible - are not yet listed internationally, despite being common among indigenous peoples.
There is also a good, strong chapter looking at light pollution, its effect on culture, country and health, and some very actionable and practical measures to combat it. Highly recommended for holiday reading.

[Amy Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find the connection between land and sky country so beautiful.

Hopefully the projects described in the latter part of the book go ahead, because more people should be educated in First Nations astronomy knowledge.

After reading this book I really want to learn the astronomy knowledge of the country I live on.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a second generation immigrant belonging to the Zambian diaspora and a settler living on the land of the Jagera people of the Yuggera Nation. What is the point of acknowledging you live on stolen land if we are not going to give it back?

Ceremonial time floods the plains reflecting the Moon Man’s weather predicting halo. Formed due to the passage of light through hexagonal ice crystals, softening the soil of the wet season. Indentations permeate the rock at a particular site, marking hundreds and thousands of years of memory in expression of the Dark Emu – what I name the Milky Way – the sparkling rip in the sky. Wound marking when the land and the sky were once one continuous whole and cementing their respective boundaries.

Dark Emu is one name representative of many and varied names of many and varied nations to which each name belongs in the way their land interacts with the sky.

Venus is both a laughing old man and a woman tied down by her friends to prevent her getting lost, sitting low on the horizon. Stars encode a wealth of information through colour variations and the changes in scintillation, reflecting the landscape within and around. The Dreaming dreams it into being in the everywhen from which all the observable and material world is formed. All this knowledge cannot be held in the strictures of language.

“The dominant culture has prioritised surplus over need, resulting in sickness in Country and communities. Indigenous knowledge shows us that scientific endeavours do not have to be synonymous with destruction.”

“To hurt Sky Country, to try and possess it, is an ongoing colonisation of the plural lifeworlds of all those who have ongoing connections with and beyond the sky.”
 
Irrevocably the aurora australis wallows in the clash of the unchanging, imperceptibly changing, countenance, juxtaposed with the terrestrial globe’s now flighty masks lasting for less than a night. A hundred pounds of ointment on the hanging long grimace of all too recent history, hungover. Curled in a ball of silver and stomach protruding with the unfinished.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light pollution is not discussed enough.
Everyone download the Stellarium app for a live map of the stars :)

[Shannon Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. A fantastic snapshot of the rich history of indigenous astronomy. It's genuinely surprising and completely embarrassing that the ideas and knowledge shared in this book are not widely taught in schools. We have such an opportunity to listen and learn about the interconnectedness of all things. It must happen in order to sustain this planet!! Would love to see this book in a different medium, like a documentary, given how many geographical and spatial references there are! ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

[Charbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book reconciling Western knowledge with Aboriginal astronomy. Ive learnt alot from this one book about Aboriginal science and i loved the story telling being weaved into the facts and evidence. It's compelling stuff

Definitely one of my top 2025 reads

[Carole Hazell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recommended introduction to Indigenous Astronomy.
I look forward to these accomplished scientists documenting and publishing further works.

[Portia · Rating 4 out of 5]

some incredible knowledge and examples of how much first nations people know sky country, how it was present in song lines, and how the knowledge was instrumental to survival.

[Rose Wh · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy, enjoyable and informative read. I now have a craving to go stargazing :)

[Matthew Mower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice snapshot of aboriginal systemic issues and ancient cultural astonomy knowledge

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

as with the rest of the series - thoroughly enjoyed this!! especially as someone who is interested in space etc. this book was so eye-opening. i had never considered the concept of ‘space heritage’ - of the sky as being something we need to protect/holding heritage and cultural value - or the climate crisis impacting our skies (and how this in turn further perpetuates the climate crisis) - or how this would have such huge impacts on first nations knowledge and culture.

i loved learning more about some of the stories in the constellations - i will never stop being in awe of the connections between what we experience on the land and how it can be read/linked with what is happening in the skies (eg stars, moon halos, dark emu, moon like a bowl = dry season) and how first nations peoples were able to read the skies to figure out these connections. it is just so cool, especially as someone who can’t even pinpoint the southern cross in the sky, let alone read any further knowledge from them haha (i hope to improve my knowledge at least a little bit though!!). i appreciated the picture of the dark emu constellation and wish we got some more pictures/examples! reading the scientific explanations for these connections between land and sky was also really interesting, even though a lot of it went over my head haha

how much is being lost

“the manner and pace of “occupying” near-Earth space raises the risk of repeating the mistakes of colonisation on a cosmic scale… to hurt sky country, to try and possess it, it is an ongoing colonisation,of the plural lifeworlds of all those who have ongoing connections with and beyond the sky”

- did not realise how much is being lost/damaged :(
- loss of cultural practices and knowledge (where the damage/change to visibility of the skies is like damage to the songlines/land) - another example of colonisation (literally) invisibilising first nations knowledge - becoming more difficult to look to stars to tell the timing of events (eg migration of a moth species signals to do a ceremony but lights affecting these migrations), not knowing when best for certain foods etc.
- the fact that we can’t see the milky way in most places anymore was v shocking- i think because its so well known, i just took for granted we could easily see it.
- we can only see 100 out of 2000-5000 stars in the cities - in 100 years, will people still be able to see the stars at all? a lot of sci-fi books talk about this but i didnt really think of it as something actually happening…
- the phrasing of constellations going ‘extinct’ and the ‘health’ of our dark skies also hit hard - hadn’t thought of non-living things like our sky in these ways as i already said
- and we’re so normalised to all of this loss of visibility in the skies that we dont realise it could be different/is bad

how is this being lost?
- hadn’t realised how light pollution was having such a massive impact - on humans (especially first nations knowledge/culture) and animals
- impact on animals - reduced reproductive output, disrupts sleep cycles, wayfinding mechanisms, difficulty hiding from prey, impacting relationships between species
- also impacts humans e.g., circadian rhythms, flow-on effects from this animal impact and loss of cultural knowledge etc.
- light pollution and its causes/suggested fixes was really interesting - an area of urban design and planning i’d not considered!
- light pollution due to wasteful/excessive/unshielded/misdirected lighting - i liked how the suggestions to address this involved starting from scratch - from natural darkness - and building light into our spaces in ways that are done with purpose and intention and only where needed etc.
- thought this was really interesting - a lot of lighting to promote safety but women report feeling more unsafe in well-lit areas because they often lead to low-lit areas
- also hadn’t considered the concepts of privatisation and industraliasation of our skies before - we really cant escape capitalism/climate destruction can we! :/ and the impact this is having as well! space debris, the kessler syndrome (collision cascade preventing further space travel), skyglow - even the fact that these megaconstellations and light pollution are (ironically!) negatively impacting astronomy - makes observatories/telescopes unable to capture images properly etc

rethinking/expanding understandings - science, colonisation, and academia
- as with the rest of the series, provided some important reminders about expanding concepts of science, knowledge, colonisation etc.
- “[aboriginal people] have often been represented as objects - as the “known”. rarely are they represented as subjects, as “knowers””
- “organisations and programs are culturally destructive when they view western culture as superior to indigenous cultures” → need to expand our perceptions of what is considered science/scientific knowledge/scientists
- i am still struggling a bit i think, to understand what the authors mean by western science/knowledge being compartmentalised in ways indigenous science/knowledge isn’t - in what ways does western science do this/how does indigenous science not? would be interested in some specific examples but i think this is partly bc of the emphasis of interdisciplinary approaches in my uni studies?
- found all the discussion of academia, the experiences of the authors etc in this space so interesting! im so mad i didnt do the SCI2030 unit!! think i didnt consider it ‘sciency’ enough/a bludge subject that wasnt worth doing? i dont remember (obvs a lot of problematic assumptions rooted in that decision…)
- concept of salvage anthropology and collecting artefacts as assuming culture was dying etc interesting and very sad
- other disciplines like ethnoastronomy, work being done such as the australian aboriginal astronomy project etc. all so interesting

to explore further
- a lot of things i want to look into: ethnoastronomy, astrotourism, the australian indigenous astronomy project, the book dark sparklers, stellarium and starlore plug-in (free phone app that looks very cool), the work of a few key academics mentioned in the book (andrew giles, angela ziebell, krystal de napoli, karlie noon), the course content for SCI2030
- places to visit when i travel around australia: astrourism (astrotourism WA, blue mountains stargazing and dark skies down under in NSW), the skylore exhibition in the brisbane planetarium, the Dark Sky Park in Warrumbungle National Park in NSW)

[Simon Pockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book. Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli are engaging authors with a refreshing depth of knowledge. It is important because non-Indigenous Australians have for too long overlooked the interconnection of land and sky. I had no idea that the Dark Emu moved in sync with the land emu or that variations on this constellation were culturally significant to so many Indigenous peoples. Similarly, with the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades.

Close to home, the corruptly approved Narrabri Coal Seam Gas (CSG) extraction project by Santos in the Pilliga gets a justified serve; not just because of how it will cause massive light pollution (flaring) and destroy 300 cultural sites but because it is causing widespread ecological harm.
This is not just a polemic about the need for dark skies. It is a book full of examples of how Indigenous knowledge of the night sky is an important resource that can help repair the earth. It looks towards the possibility of a better future where space junk has been removed, the night sky is visible again and interplanetary pioneers take a lighter, more informed approach to space exploitation.

That Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli begin this book with their own stories is a humbling reminder of the privileges so many non-Indigenous unconsciously (ignorantly) enjoy.

[The Nameless · Rating 2 out of 5]

Astronomy: Sky Country explores the astronomical knowledge of First Nations Australians. The book discusses some of the stories different people groups told relating to the stars and how those stories and that knowledge was used to mark different times in the year, such as migrations, animal behaviour and more. And those were the bits of the book I really enjoyed.

What I didn't love, and perhaps it was partially my expectations, was how much of the book is spent discussing colonialism. No doubt, colonialism did serious damage to the Aboriginal population that continues to be felt... but I wanted a book that explored Aboriginal astronomy. Instead, I felt like I was berated and talked down to for a good half of the book as the authors seem to get lost and distracted as they go off on tangents.

In the book is a recommendation for another called Dark Sparklers. If you actually want to learn about Indigenous astronomy, that one might be a better place to turn.

[Sandy Millin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this at ACMI in Melbourne while on my first ever trip to Australia. I wanted to learn more about Aborigine culture, as after a week in Australia I felt like I’d heard a couple of tribal names and not much else. I’d previously heard some stories from the Dreaming (what I knew as the Dreamtime) told by Aboriginal and international storytellers at events I went to as a teenager, but I never really understood their deeper significance until reading this book. I picked it up because astronomy fascinates me. It’s the first book I’ve ever read which connects the sky and the land so closely, and it showed me just how much we have to learn from the Aborigine and Torres Strait Islander cultures. I really hope the projects in the book go ahead and that more people have the chance to learn from these ancient cultures, and I hope I’ll be able to learn more about them in the future.

[Peter McGarvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was something I wanted to read off the back of The Great Undoing (where it was referenced) and boy did I underestimate the content of this book. I was looking forward to reading about First People's interpretations of constellations and how that differed from Western culture, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. This book took me on a First People's ancient knowledge crash course, filled me with existential dread and guilt, but also left me with hope for the future. There are many things we can learn from Indigenous cultures and astronomy (and the link between the earth and the sky) is just one of them. Practice dadirri, look at the stars, talk to and learn from those who have been here longer.

[sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so many beautiful and amazing things to learn in this book.

One of my personal favs:

Did u know that when a hot weather front hits a cold weather front (aka stormy timez) the hot air rises and condenses creating loads of ice crystals so that when the moon rays shine through this layer of ice crystal air they are distorted at a 20 degree angle which makes it looks like there is a ring of light around the moon and that for 10s of thousands of years many Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities have understood this, created stories around this phenomenon, and used it in order to understand and accurately predict the weather



read a book. be a dag.

[Ben Cheetham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly fascinating introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understandings of the universe and what it can tell us about our place within it. The book is incredibly comprehensive in scope and leaving no stone unturned and no perspective unexplored.

I think one of the great strengths of the authors and their academic background is the recommendations for further reading and diligence in crediting elders, colleagues and other sources.

Any kind of science writing that can bring hope to your heart and a tear to your eye is worth reading I reckon - and that's before you even get to the final chapter 😭

More of this PLEASE!

[Darcy Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 4. Really enjoyed this book! I loved learning more on First Nations knowledge of our stars and sky above. I found the middle chapters slightly repetitive, but really really loved the last two chapters on how to integrate First Nations knowledges meaningfully and deeply into Western astronomy and what true collaboration could look like and then a message from the future of a better world will look like. Definitely recommend this book if you’re wanting to know more about our night skies

[Samantha Clearihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read. A beautiful reminder to view the world as interconnected and moving together instead of seperate. An amazing insight into Indigenous Knowledge systems and how astronomy assists with navigation, understanding animal patterns, predicting weather changes amongst many many other things.

[Gabriel Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the First Knowledge series! Especially as the books are not just about looking back at ATSI knowledge, but looking forward at working with Western culture and science.
I'm really glad this book showed a focus on actual Astronomy, reliable predictions and stories told in the sky, rather than astrology.

[Mal · Rating 3 out of 5]

it uses a lot of words to talk about different things but it's not very helpful as like a star guide or anything. this seems more like a book someone would site if they were doing a report on the subject and not really if you actually want to learn about the stars. it's really cool stuff honestly but it's just a lot of words.

[Patrick Bolt · Rating 3 out of 5]

i swear to god some books be trying to bring out the cynicism in me. not gonna say nothing bad bout this one, learned a lot but wanted more. the final chapter with the letter from the future was so cheesy and optimistic i don’t know how to think 🤷‍♂️

[Kate Millin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always sad to read about how native people were ignored by settlers. It is good to see that this is changing, especially acknowledgement of their knowledge about the stars and how they are connected to the land we live on.

[Rowena Eddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief review of Australian First Nations' knowledge of the sky and how it reflects and expands Western constructs. The authors are not great stylists, however, and such a short book needs must be fairly superficial.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice quick read. Interesting to hear about the authors background and their adversity. Knew about the emu but also interesting that other Southern Hemisphere cultures have names and significance for the same starry

[Isobel Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely accessible, a great introduction.

[Frances Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Fascinating introduction (for me) to Indigenous Astronomy.
This beautiful book is an absorbing, easy read.
Highly recommended.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous & fascinating!

[lou garciadolnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!!! Marking to take notes on later