A Newly Documented Whole-Sky Circumpolar Constellation in Alaskan Gwich'in

Cannon, Chris M.; Holton, Gary

doi:10.3368/aa.51.2.1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…These differences may be related to the fact that the Yellowknives Dene utilize a celestial schema designed for tracking target stars over relatively long distances in open country, whereas the Gwich'in schema primarily facilitates orientation during short trips into thickly vegetated forests after departing familiar trails and waterways. The Gwich'in schema is unique in that it projects human anatomy and its bilateral symmetry into the sky as a uniquely adapted whole-sky constellation that serves as a mnemonic device for remembering the spatial relationships of key stars (Cannon and Holton, 2014). This whole-sky constellation, known as Yahdii, integrates with the landscape and the Gwich'in riverine directional system to facilitate orientation when prominent geography and landmarks are not visible.…”

Section: Gwich'in Stellar Wayfindingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yellowknives Dene and Gwich’in Stellar Wayfinding in Large-Scale Subarctic Landscapes

Cannon¹,

Herbert²,

Sangris³

2022

ARCTIC

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Indigenous systems of stellar wayfinding are rarely described or robustly attested outside of maritime contexts, with few examples reported among peoples of the high Arctic and some desert regions. However, like other large-scale environments that exhibit a low legibility of landmarks, the barrenlands of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Flats of Alaska generally lack views of prominent or distinguishing topography for using classic route-based navigation. When travelling off trails and waterways in these respective inland subarctic environments, the Yellowknives Dene and the Alaskan Gwich’in utilize drastically different stellar wayfinding approaches from one another while essentially sharing the same view of the sky. However, in both systems the use of celestial schemata is suspended in favor of route-based navigation when the traveller intersects a familiar geographical feature or trail near their target destination, suggesting strong preference for orienting by landmarks when available. A comparison of both wayfinding systems suggests that large-scale environments that lack a readily discernible ground pattern may be more conducive to the development and implementation of a celestial wayfinding schema when combined with other influential factors such as culture, individual experience, and travel behavior. These are likely the first stellar wayfinding systems described in detail for any inland subarctic culture.

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Section: Gwich'in Stellar Wayfindingmentioning

confidence: 99%