Guided by the Stars: Vicki Monague Presents the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere

As part of Lakehead University’s Research and Innovation Week in February, Anishinaabe scholar, Contract Lecturer, and MEd graduate Vicki Monague delivered an impactful presentation on Anishinaabe star knowledge and her work on the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere project.

Vicki explains that for Anishinaabe peoples, the stars and constellations carry an entire system of knowledge. They connect people to ancestors and the spirit world while also serving as a calendar, navigation system, and guide for seasonal activities, ceremonies, and storytelling.

“As Anishinaabe people, we love the stars,” she said. “But the night sky isn’t just about constellations. It’s a living system of knowledge that guides all of our relationships with the natural world.”

The Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere Project

Developed at McMaster University, the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere program began with a meta-analysis examining the written record of Anishinaabe star knowledge. From that research emerged an Ojibwe star knowledge show presented in a portable planetarium, where students can explore the night sky while learning about Indigenous star knowledge.

The program brings together Anishinaabe gikendaasowin (knowledge) and Western astronomy through a “two-eyed seeing” approach, while aligning with Ontario’s Grades 4–12 science and technology curriculum expectations.

Part of Vicki’s work involves updating the Stellarium software to include Anishinaabe planetary names and constellations. These include clan constellations such as Makwa (the bear, which includes stars from the Big Dipper) and Maang (the Loon, which includes the North Star).

Anishinaabe Natural Law Written in the Stars

“Anishinaabe people are sky beings,” Vicki explains. “Our creation story tells us that we came from the sky.”

Bagone-giizhig, the seven-star cluster known in Western astronomy as the Pleiades and sometimes described as the “hole in the sky,” represents an opening between the Earth and star world, reminding Anishinaabe people of their celestial origins.

Indigenous star knowledge also carries practical teachings that connect to Anishinaabe natural law, guiding people to live in respectful relationship with the land, water, animals, and one another, as well as informing ceremonial practices. For example, the constellation often called the “sweat lodge” in Anishinaabe star knowledge (known in Western astronomy as Corona Borealis) forms a circular pattern that reflects the structure of a sweat lodge. Its seven stars, visible at certain times of the year, are associated with the Seven Grandfather Teachings and serve as a reminder of the responsibilities and protocols involved in holding a sweat lodge ceremony.

There is a deep history and continuity to these teachings, Vicki explains: “People have been here for thousands of years, and our star teachings are older and longer than any established religion or mythology upon the earth.”

By weaving together language revitalization, cultural knowledge, and scientific learning, the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere program highlights the stars as guides for understanding balance, responsibility, and our relationships with the world around us.

Pictured below: Vicki Monague and the portable planetarium.