"A new book shows that the Northern Dene people of Alaska and Canada have known far more about the stars than an earlier generation of scientists were willing to acknowledge."—The New York Times

Teachings from the stars

Much more than stories about the sky, Indigenous astronomies provide powerful, centuries-old models of knowing, being, and relating to the world. Through collaboration with more than sixty-five Dene Elders and culture bearers across thirty-four communities in Alaska and Canada, In the Footsteps of the Traveller reveals the significance of the stars to Northern Dene life, language, and culture.

At the centre of these knowledge systems is the Traveller, a being who journeyed around the world in Ancient Time before incarnating among the stars. The Traveller constellation is a teacher, a gamekeeper, a guardian, and a practical guide for wayfinding. The Traveller, together with a host of other celestial and atmospheric phenomena like thunder and the northern lights, bridges the divide between earth and sky, instilling balance and instructing people on how to live with each other and their environments.

This study combines interviews, stunning photographs and detailed illustrations of the northern night sky, author Chris M. Cannon's own experiential learning, and a foreword from Chief Fred Sangris of Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Rooted in years of collaborative fieldwork, In the Footsteps of the Traveller leads the way to deeper understandings of Northern Dene astronomical knowledge.

In the Footsteps of the Traveller, the first in-depth study on Northern Dene astronomy, reveals the significance of the sky and its contents to Northern Dene life, language, and culture through collaboration with more than sixty-five Dene Elders and culture bearers across thirty-four communities in Alaska and Canada.

List of Illustrations Foreword by Chief Fred Sangris Acknowledgements Introduction The Northern Dene A Note on Dene Orthographies 1. The Traveller Constellation Part I The Gwich’in Constellation Yahdii The Ahtna Constellation Nek'eltaeni The Lower Tanana Constellation Nogheyoli The Sahtúot’ı̨nę Constellation Yíhda or Yámǫréya 2. The Traveller Constellation Part II The Tanacross Constellation Neek'e'elteen The Upper Tanana Constellation Yihda or Nek'e'eltiin The Yellowknives Dene Constellation Yèhdaa or Yı̀da The Koyukon Constellation Ghededzuyhdle or Naagheltaale The Upper Kuskokwim Constellation Noghiltale The Dëne Sułiné Constellation Yéhda or Yeda The Dena’ina Constellation Yuq'eltaeni or Naq'eltaeni Supporting Evidence from the Literature 3. Stellar Time-Reckoning, Weather Forecasting, and Wayfinding Divisions of Time Stellar Time-Reckoning Introduction to Northern Dene Stellar Wayfinding Yellowknives Dene Stellar Wayfinding Gwich'in Stellar Wayfinding Stellar Wayfinding Discussion Stars and Planets in Weather Forecasting 4. The Sun, Moon, and Eclipses The Sun The Moon Eclipses 5. Beings of the Atmosphere Part I Northern Lights Meteors Halo Phenomena 6. Beings of the Atmosphere Part II Rainbows Thunderbirds Deterring Unfavourable Weather Colours of the Sky 7. Knowing, Being, and Relating Appendix A: Northern Dene Names for the Traveller Appendix B: The Cosmic Hunt in Northern Dene Cultures Notes Bibliography Index

"[In the Footsteps of the Traveller] is a guide for outsiders to glimpse Northern Dene culture. In a time when what remains of traditional knowledge and wisdom is at risk of being lost, it could also serve as a guide for Dene themselves. For people who, for whatever reason, no longer live in proximity to their communities and are seeking to reclaim belonging and Indigeneity, the book is a chart for a different kind of traveller. ...It opens a universe of discoveries, not only of the constellations that figure in different Northern Dene cultures but also of how these relate to Dene languages and cultures as they’re practised on the ground."

"A stunning, meaningful work that invites readers into a universe where stars are not only seen but deeply understood."

“In the Footsteps of the Traveller is a ground-breaking book. Cannon’s authoritative treatise of Dene knowledge of the stars is unique and exemplary, redefining the field by linking the basic ethos of Dene life to a meticulously documented body of shared but threatened knowledge. Detailed and precise, the book innovates by showing how knowledge—of how to live with other people, with animals, with nature—is encoded in astronomical and aerial phenomena.”

“Chris Cannon’s contribution to the subject of Dene astronomy stands alone. Many authors have referred to Dene knowledge of the stars but no one has gone into such detail or pulled the topic together in such a comprehensive manner.”CA"Impressive and thorough in both its astronomical and linguistic dimensions, Cannon’s solid scholarship illuminates Northern Dene cosmology while promoting a greater appreciation of Dene history, traditions, and knowledge systems. Germinal studies of this breadth are only made possible through lengthy and respectful cooperation between the researcher and Indigenous knowledge holders. The author’s engaging story of his travels and collaborations with his Dene teachers—an immersive process lasting some fourteen years—convincingly demonstrates this point, infusing the narrative with a vital personal component."

"In the Footsteps of the Traveller grew from [author Chris Cannon's] first meeting with [Gwich'in Elder] Mr. Herbert and replaces earlier scholarly condescension with a clearer picture of a huge, ancient and intricate astronomical system shared by Elders across more than 750 miles of subarctic landscape. Alongside Mr. Herbert, some 65 Indigenous knowledge holders contributed to the book. More than a third have passed away since Dr. Cannon began the research."