Indigenous peoples have understood the sky world for centuries. At Manitoba’s Bannock Point, Drew views petroforms that were spiritual and astronomical markers, physical reminders of sacred clan teachings. The Salmon Ruins, NM, were likely an astronomical observatory where Pueblo people charted the skies, marked the solstices, the sun’s movements, and the moon’s cycles.

800-year-old cave dwellings at Mesa Verde, Colorado, overlook the mysterious Sun Temple. The images carved by Pueblo people at Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque also show astronomical knowledge. In Winnipeg, Wilfred Buck has gleaned star lore from Cree elders. His indigenous constellation map depicts characters from sacred stories, including the trickster Weesageechak. Traditional teachings and stories are mirrored by indigenous science.

In Going Native, celebrated humorist and author Drew Hayden Taylor examines the stereotypes and traditions of Indigenous identity while discovering cool new ways Indigenous people are shaping their culture in the 21st century.