A traditional Mi'kmaq sky story has been brought to life in a celebration
of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, blending modern technology
with the oral teachings of First Nations Elders.
An animated version of the Mi'kmaq sky story, Muin and the Seven Bird
Hunters, is now available in English, French and Mi'kmaq to people around
the world in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009
(IYA2009).
Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters is a traditional sky story which has been
handed down from generation to generation as part of the rich oral history
of the Mi'kmaq First Nation. The story links the annual cycle of the
seasons as observed by the Mi'kmaq with the movement of stars about the
North Celestial pole. This is the first time this story has been
transferred from the realm of oral tradition into video and made
accessible to such a large audience.
The story of Muin has been brought to life through the loving work of
Mi'kmaq Elder Lillian Marshall of Potlotek First Nation (in Cape Breton,
NS) and Mi'kmaq Elder Murdena Marshall of Eskasoni First Nation (in Cape
Breton, NS), in conjunction with artist Sana Kavanagh of Cape Breton
University in Sydney, NS. The two Elders narrated the English and Mi'kmaq
versions of the film, while the French version was narrated by Annabelle
Welsh, a Grade 12 student from Membertou First Nation (in Cape Breton, NS)
who attends Étoile de l'Acadie in Sydney. The production was made possible
through the support of CBU's Canada Research Chair in Integrative Science,
Dr. Cheryl Bartlett.
Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters premiered on January 8th at the Canada
Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, with a broadcast to First Nations
schools in eastern Canada as part of the launch of Canada's IYA2009
celebrations.
| download this video |
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| Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters, narrated in Mi'kmaq, subtitled in English |
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| Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters, narrated in English |
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| Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters, narrated in French |
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Beyond the Visible Universe: Galaxy Collisions, Star Formation and
Galactic Evolution
On March 13, 2009, the National Research Council and the Royal Society of
Canada: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences presented a lecture
entitled, "Beyond the Visible Universe : Galaxy Collisions, Star Formation
and Galactic Evolution". This presentation, which is part of the NRC/RSC
Scientific Lecture Series, was given by Dr. Christine Wilson, a Professor
in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster University, and the
Canadian Project Scientist for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
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Introduction, part 1:
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Introduction, part 2:
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Introduction, part 3:
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Main talk:
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Question and answer session:
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