Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: Knowledge and Astronomy

On this page, the IDEA Chapter has compiled suggestions and resources for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in astronomy spaces, including departments, conferences, collaborations, observing facilities, classrooms, outreach programs, and online communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have observed and understood the skies for millennia. AIATSIS describes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy as connected to navigation, seasons, cultural practice, and ancestral beings.

This page is intended as a starting point. Any page about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, knowledges, or communities should ideally be reviewed or co-developed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and should not treat Indigenous knowledge as free content to extract or reuse.

Cultural Respect and Safety:

Cultural respect means recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not a single group, and that peoples, Countries, languages, protocols, histories, and knowledges are diverse.

Cultural safety goes further: it asks whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a space as safe, respectful, and free from racism, tokenism, stereotyping, or cultural harm.

This includes:

  • respecting Traditional Owners and Country;
  • using respectful language;
  • avoiding generalisations about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
  • not using stories, images, language, cultural knowledge, or artwork without permission;
  • recognising Indigenous astronomy as living knowledge, not just history;
  • ensuring Indigenous people are paid, credited, and supported for cultural, educational, advisory, and research work;
  • following Indigenous research ethics and data governance principles;
  • challenging racism, deficit narratives, and tokenistic inclusion.

The AIATSIS Code of Ethics is a key resource here. It is built around Indigenous self-determination, Indigenous leadership, impact and value, and sustainability and accountability.

Examples of Harmful/Exclusionary Behaviour:

Examples include:

  • treating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy as “myth” rather than knowledge;
  • using Indigenous stories, images, names, languages, or sky knowledge without permission;
  • asking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or staff to speak for all Indigenous peoples;
  • expecting Indigenous people to provide unpaid cultural labour;
  • making jokes or comments based on stereotypes;
  • dismissing racism as “not intended” or “just a misunderstanding”;
  • using acknowledgements of Country performatively while taking no further action;
  • organising events, fieldwork, or observing trips without considering Country, community protocols, cultural safety, or local Indigenous engagement;
  • teaching Indigenous astronomy without checking whether the resource is appropriate, accurate, and ethically sourced.

What to do if you experience racism or cultural disrespect:

If you experience racism, cultural disrespect, exclusion, tokenism, or misuse of Indigenous knowledge, you may wish to:

  1. Write down what happened. Include dates, places, people present, what was said or done, and whether there were witnesses.
  2. Save any records. This might include emails, messages, screenshots, slides, event materials, recordings, or public posts.
  3. Talk to someone you trust. This could be a friend, mentor, supervisor, student representative, union representative, Indigenous staff network, equity office, ombudsperson, or community support service.
  4. Check the relevant policy or code of conduct. Universities, observatories, conferences, collaborations, schools, and professional societies may have different reporting pathways.
  5. Seek culturally safe support. 13YARN is a free, confidential, 24/7 crisis support line run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

What to do if someone tells you they experienced racism or cultural harm:

If someone comes to you:

  • listen without interrupting;
  • thank them for trusting you;
  • do not minimise or excuse what happened;
  • do not say “I’m sure they didn’t mean it”;
  • do not ask them to educate you on racism or cultural safety;
  • ask what support they want;
  • help them find the relevant reporting pathway, Indigenous support unit, equity office, union, ombudsperson, or staff/student network;
  • keep the matter confidential unless there is an immediate safety risk or mandatory reporting obligation.

What astronomy communities can do:

Astronomy departments, conferences, collaborations, observatories, outreach programs, and classrooms can take practical steps, including:

  • consult Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations where appropriate;
  • make acknowledgements of Country specific, respectful, and connected to real action;
  • include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speakers, researchers, students, and community members without tokenising them;
  • pay Indigenous people for cultural advice, teaching, speaking, reviewing, and consultation;
  • ensure Indigenous-led resources are prioritised;
  • check that education resources are accurate, respectful, and ethically sourced;
  • follow the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, knowledges, collections, or data;
  • respect Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance principles;
  • provide culturally safe reporting pathways;
  • avoid scheduling events that clash with major cultural or community obligations where known;
  • consider Country, access, cultural protocols, and safety in observing trips, fieldwork, and outreach.

Recommended resources & reading:

Indigenous astronomy and STEM

First Knowledges: Astronomy – Sky Country – by Indigenous Astronomers Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli.

AIATSIS: Aboriginal astronomy
A strong starting point for understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy as connected to navigation, seasons, cultural practice, and knowledge systems.

Australian Indigenous Astronomy
A public resource on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomical knowledge systems and sky observation.

ANU Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Astronomy and Navigation guide
A useful library guide for finding books, articles, and resources on Indigenous astronomy and navigation.

DeadlyScience
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led STEM charity supporting Indigenous learners and communities.

Ethics, teaching, and cultural safety

AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research
Essential for research, teaching, outreach, collections, data, and projects involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or knowledges.

AIATSIS Guide to evaluating and selecting education resources
Useful for checking whether resources about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and knowledges are appropriate and respectful.

AIFS culturally safe service delivery resources
A curated list of resources for organisations wanting to improve culturally safe practice.

Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education
Tools and resources for reconciliation action in schools and education settings.

Data, knowledge, and governance

Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective
A key Australian source on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance principles.

ARDC Indigenous Data resource
Practical guidance on ethical considerations and governance principles for data relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Support

13YARN
Free, confidential, 24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.