|
|
Photo courtesy of Travis Novitsky
“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.” Anonymous.
A one-hour documentary exploring the dark skies of northeastern Minnesota and the Anishinaabe connection to those skies came out this March, but it can still be seen on YouTube and found on other sites.
Co-produced by WDSE WRPT – PBS in Duluth and Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, the film spotlights the accomplished night photography of Grand Portage photographer Travis Novitsky and Carl Gawboy, Bois Forte, a retired St. Scholastica professor, educator, artist and researcher of Ojibwe star stories.
Gawboy became the first person in modern history to point to the connection between ancient pictographs and the traditional Native American understanding of astronomy and the starry constellations.
Gawboy says the Ojibwe culture views the “Milky Way as the River of Souls.” He talks about the 200 pictograph sites between the BWCAW and Hudson Bay, what some of those pictographs mean, and how they relate to the night sky and culture. His stories are fascinating and enlightening.
As for Travis, while he loves photographing nature and wildlife, he says he most enjoys “spending time under the night sky and capturing these cool photographs of the Milky Way or Northern Lights,” which doesn’t occur by accident but through extensive preparation. That quote came from a National Park Service article.
In that same article, Travis says, “That’s why I like the sky so much. It’s the easiest way I can quiet my mind and just be there in the present. When I am gazing up at the sky, especially on such a quiet night, I feel utterly and completely relaxed and refreshed.”
Jessica Heim, a cultural astronomer, talks about the value of how various societies throughout the world interpret what they see in the night sky.
Travis narrates much of the film and is listed as a co-producer.
Author Paul Bogart also is featured. Paul wrote “The End of Night.” He describes his journey across the planet as he documents how different countries light their cities. He states that eight in ten kids in the U.S. will never see the Milky Way because of light pollution.
“Astro “Bob King brings his telescopes along and talks about his love of the night skies. In all, more than a dozen folks contribute, including Duluth Mayor Emily Larson.
The documentary explores the movement to reduce light pollution by creating Dark Sky Places, focusing on northern Minnesota.
Light pollution at night is recognized as a growing problem that interferes with natural and human health. Financially it is estimated that energy lost because of bad lighting costs the U.S. about $3 billion every year, or about $10 per year for every person in the country.
At 2.4 million acres, the BWCA, Voyageurs National Park, and the Quetico Provincial Park form the world’s most prominent dark sky sanctuary. But that could change if Thunder Bay or Duluth expand and increase their night sky lighting. Still, over the last few years the city of Duluth has embraced a lot of the new lighting concepts and are working with Starry Skies North, a club co-founded by Cynthia Lapp and Randy Larson, both who appear in the documentary.
While the documentary examines natural health and the region’s cultural heritage, it can also be used by K-12 teachers as part of their curriculums.
At the film’s end Travis says, “I think it is important for us to keep that connection with the stars to keep as much as we can because it is ultimately where we all came from.”
It’s a beautiful sentiment and a great documentary.
Leave a Reply