W.J. McCallion Planetarium tells Six Nations' celestial story

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, McMaster planetarium shows an immersive retelling of the celestial bear story

For a blend of culture and education, the William J. McCallion Planetarium presents The Celestial Bear: The Six Nations’ Night Sky.

The Celestial Bear is an annual showing of projected images containing rotating patterns in the night sky. This was produced in partnership with members of the Six Nations, McMaster University's Indigenous Studies Department and the W.J. McCallion Planetarium. It tells the story behind the Ursa Major constellation that Indigenous peoples have passed from generation to generation.

The Latin term Ursa Major, given to the constellation by European astronomists, means "Great Bear." Indigenous peoples who had also looked up at the stars with wonder have their own lore about the night sky. The planetarium and the producers of the show aimed to tell the Indigenous story behind this constellation which has been neglected by western society. 

Robert Cockroft is an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy at McMaster University and the director of the W.J. McCallion Planetarium.  

“One of the opportunities that have been really great is to work with Indigenous scholars . . . [i]ncluding Tom Deer, who is a Mohawk scholar and the person who approached us and said, ”Would you like to do a show that is based on a story around the Celestial Bear?”, and that was back in 2013,” said Cockroft. 

It was then that the idea for the Celestial Bear was first conceptualized. It officially launched in 2015. 

“We’ve been showing it since 2015 and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has only been around for its third year in a row. So every year its been happening, we’ve been doing it,” said Cockroft.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was first observed as a federal statutory holiday on Sept. 30, 2021. 

To thoughtfully create the showing, Tom Deer, Robert Cockroft, David Moses and professor Rick Munchau who are two other Indigenous scholars and Sarah Simmons, the former director of the W.J. McCallion Planetarium worked collaboratively together. 

“The five of us worked together and co-produced the Celestial Bear, which today still remains the most requested show that we have,” said Cockroft. 

Cockroft spoke about how they thought it was of great importance to include Indigenous voices in the production process.

“None of our presenters are Indigenous. We felt it was crucial to have Tom’s voice represent the story,” said Cockroft.

This decision not only allows for a faithful retelling of the narrative but also respects the cultural significance of the story. 

The show’s structure is unique compared to other planetarium offerings. The Celestial Bear includes both live and recorded segments to authentically represent the storytelling tradition. The recordings, featuring Tom Deer’s narration, incorporate Indigenous languages. 

The concept of “two-eyed seeing,” articulated by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall, is woven throughout the show. 

“[Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall] says, if you can see with the perspective of one eye of Indigenous ways of knowing, and the other eye from the eurocentric or western ways of knowing, then you can help your understanding like you can deepen your understanding by knowing both perspectives. It’s not one or the other, but by having both, it really helps,” explained Cockroft. 

“In any one year, about 10 to 15 per cent of the requests we get are for the Celestial Bear. So that’s about 40 to 50 shows per year,” said Cockcroft. This popularity reflects a growing interest in Indigenous stories and perspectives within educational settings. 

The planetarium is also preparing to launch a new show, “The 7 Dances”, later this fall, in partnership with Tom Deer. This upcoming presentation aims to further explore Indigenous stories and their connections to the night sky. 

Tickets for The Celestial Bear are available on the McCallion Planetarium website, with all proceeds going to a local Indigenous charity. This showing is both an opportunity to learn about Indigenous history and storytelling and to reflect on the erasure of Indigenous stories by western society. 

The showing for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will take place Sept. 30, from 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. in the W.J. McCallion Planetarium in the Burke Science Building.