THE PROBLEM: The impacts of the last 236 years of occupation and colonisation in Australia for Aboriginal people and communities has been profound. Culture, language and traditional ways of life have been disrupted and widespread social and economic disadvantage has ensued. In urban areas light pollution has caused serious deterioration of the night sky. Globally more than half the world’s population no longer experience dark-sky conditions and as a result have become increasingly detached from nature. For Aboriginal people this is of particular concern. For more than 65,000 years the First Peoples of Australia have lived under the night skies and lived by its patterns. For Aboriginal people, the dark spaces between stars are as important as the stars themselves and show when seasons and tides change and when certain foods are available. Although there have been many advances in technology and knowledge of the solar system has expanded, people still look up at the stars for answers and they remain very important for Aboriginal people. Key cultural stories about the night sky rely upon dark skies e.g. to see the Emu in the Sky constellation created by the dark clouds of the Milky Way and spaces between stars. The position of the Emu signals the right time of the year to collect emu eggs. Aboriginal cultural knowledge is now at risk of being lost due to the passing of Aboriginal Elders.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
This project aims to provide an intergenerational experience on country to enable a group of Aboriginal young people aged 12-15 years to experience the splendours of a truly dark night sky and cultural storytelling, which will take place at a very special landscape at Lake Ballard, a remote dark sky site 800 km northeast of Perth and 50 km west of the small town of Menzies in Western Australia. This site is home to acclaimed international artist Sir Antony Gormley’s “Inside Australia” project, with 51 alien-like metal statues widely located across the Lake Ballard Salt Lake.
Project activities will include a preliminary visit to the Western Australian Museum to see the Western Australia by Night exhibit and a series of workshops to learn about Aboriginal sky stories. A group of Aboriginal young people will journey to Lake Ballard to experience cultural learnings about the natural environment and the night sky. This will include telescope viewing of astronomical objects from the dark skies of Lake Ballard, learning and recognition of Aboriginal sky patterns and creative experiential learnings on site, with adults and Elders. Celestial Visions (WA based astrophotographer, author and exhibition curator, leading proponent of ethical astrophotography and leader of collaborative based exhibition and astrophotography projects), will support Koya in the delivery of this exciting project. To enhance this rich cultural experience, the group will stay at Morapoi Station on the traditional lands of the local Wangkatha people during this activity.
