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Mi’kmaq Night Sky Stories; Patterns of Interconnectiveness, Vitality and Nourishment (pages 14-17)
Prune Harris, Cheryl Bartlett, Murdena Marshall & Albert Marshall

Summary

This article shares some of the experiences of an integrative science team based at Cape Breton University, Canada. Integrative science is defined as “bringing together Indigenous and Western scientific knowledge and ways of knowing” and the team includes Mi’kmaq Elders and educators, Cheryl Bartlett and her Research Associates. Together we worked to rekindle the Mi’kmaq Sky Story, Muin and the Seven Hunters, to produce a DVD of the story as well as a children’s book, and then to share it with people throughout Canada and the world. We offer insights into the manner in which night sky stories engender interconnectiveness and interdependability through their cultural, scientific and ecological teachings and so help to revitalise the culture and the individual by feeding all aspects of the human experience (spiritual, emotional, physical and cognitional). We explore the concept of storywork, with emphasis on the relationship between storyteller and listener as a story is told, as well as considering the multi-layered aspect of Indigenous stories.