Star Stories: Using Indigenous Knowledge for Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Radio astronomy projects require large open spaces with minimal radio frequency interference, light and air pollution. Often, indigenous minorities such as the San in South Africa and the Wajarri Aboriginal peoples in Western Australia live on this land or have cultural rights to the land. Communication and engagement challenges with these stakeholders include language, culture, cultural heritage and stakeholder expectations. This study shows how the Square Kilometre Array South Africa (SKA SA) used the narratives and indigenous knowledge of astronomy of the San peoples of South Africa to facilitate some stakeholder engagement. These narratives were originally documented by Bleek and Lloyd (1911). Different versions of these narratives are still being told in the Central Karoo region of South Africa by the descendants of the San people. The key finding was that narratives are an effective method of creating a communication and engagement platform and for fostering collaboration, particularly for astronomy projects where the establishment of common ground among stakeholders could be challenging. The study concluded that it is important for astronomy projects and science communication to invest in indigenous knowledge systems and to preserve and recover cultural heritage as far as possible for the benefit of future research. In this way, beneficial stakeholder collaboration can be facilitated and progress can be made towards the achievement of global sustainability goals.

Depoliticising Square Kilometre Array and Vanwyksvlei in the anti-politics machine

“…This article falls in line with discussions on the contrast in astronomy between SKA's 'big science' and the Karoo's grassroots knowledge of science (Binneman & Davis 2020;Dubow 2019;Wild 2019); the ongoing conflict between local towns and the SKA project (Atkinson 2019;Gastrow & Oppelt, 2019;Walker & Chingo 2018); and the problem of communication between Karoo residents and SKA (Atkinson 2019;Gastrow & Thelma 2019;Walker & Chinigò 2018). This study stems from a 2019 Honours Research Study in Vanwyksvlei and uses qualitative methodology, such as semi-structured interviews, textual analysis and brief ethnographic accounts, to assess the impact of the SKA's five CSR programmes in the little Karoo town.…”

“…This comes in the form and effect of radio astronomy telescopes that undermines the local conception of astronomy, such as indigenous knowledge, grassroots medicine and starlore stories (Dubow 2019;Wild 2012). Although SKA acknowledges this (Binneman & Davis 2020), it is neither stipulated nor interpreted in any of SKA's CSR objectives. To straighten mismatches and find consensus in incompatible relations, CSR objectives of SKA should not only primarily advance scientific and astronomy education, but also work with national/municipal bodies to confront local issues of service delivery, infrastructural investment and social development.…”

“…The local perception of astronomy capacity considers folklore and starlore narrations of hares, heavens, Bushmen Gods, stars and water snakes, as well as personified identities of clouds, rains, land, stars, including the moon and the sun, are a sight for potentiality and creativity beyond the primary mandate of CSR stipulations (Dubow 2019;Wild 2012). Although the SKA does acknowledge these local perceptions of astronomy (Binneman & Davis 2020), there is no conformity in CSR objectives to integrate indigenous knowledge with empirical traditional and cultural values in the developing process of corporate responsibility and radio astronomy. Depoliticising these stakeholder engagements conveys a problem-solving matter that not only deconstructs the meaning of astronomy but also stresses the importance for engagement and participation to mitigate failed interventions (Binneman & Davis 2020;Gastrow & Oppelt 2019).…”

“…Although the SKA does acknowledge these local perceptions of astronomy (Binneman & Davis 2020), there is no conformity in CSR objectives to integrate indigenous knowledge with empirical traditional and cultural values in the developing process of corporate responsibility and radio astronomy. Depoliticising these stakeholder engagements conveys a problem-solving matter that not only deconstructs the meaning of astronomy but also stresses the importance for engagement and participation to mitigate failed interventions (Binneman & Davis 2020;Gastrow & Oppelt 2019).…”

Things of the sky: Cultural astronomy and onomastic creativity in selected Tshivenḓa poetry

“…Therefore, the sky, in all its splendour, is to the Vhavenḓa and other Africans, more like a canvas and a natural laboratory -a source of indigenised astronomical education (Karttunen et al 2017;Mokgoatšana & Mashego 2020;Oruru et al 2020). Thus, celestial bodies such as the sun, the moon and the stars in all their distinctive and unique characteristics have a profound influence on the climate, place-based ceremonies, weather, celestial architecture, navigation and socio-economic activities among Africans (Binneman & Davis 2020;Lee et al 2020). Astronomical objects such as the sun, moon, galaxies, rainbow, mist and clouds are usually assigned names, both in Tshivenḓa and across African cultures (Oruru et al 2020).…”