Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ASTR 301 - Indigenous Perspectives on the Sky

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Astronomy is the oldest science; it is also inherently interdisciplinary, as astronomical phenomena can be found interwoven within the economics, politics, art, religion and rituals, and philosophies of all civilizations. This course will explore how non-Western and indigenous peoples have observed, conceptualized, and utilized the celestial patterns in the sky. Special emphasis will be placed on the cosmography and astronomical knowledge of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other indigenous peoples from the Americas. The course will include numerous invited talks from tribal elders, along with substantial reading and discussions. Contextualization of the indigenous cosmographies presented in class will be achieved in the accompanying laboratory component, which will focus on semester-long naked-eye observations of celestial motions. Odd years Fall.