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Hello Lou,

I wouldn't want to generalize from your experience. From some 
preliminary browsing I have seen at least two stories that the 
Blackfoot elders were happy to see promoted (among others in the 
Calgary Science Centre) publicly: The story of what I and you 
probably know as the big dipper and the pleiades. Here is even a 
version of the latter story told by a Native on the internet: 
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Cosmos/english/html/skystories.html#blackfoot
I love the end of the video where the narrator explains how the story 
was used by his grandfather to make a point.

George, thanks for the pointer to this site. I had actually found 
that page earlier!

It seems that  at least the Blackfoot don't seem to be deliberately 
trying to keep all their stories secret. A Blackfoot I recently 
talked to suggested that there is discussion within the tribe and the 
elders as to how to deal with the issue of making such knowledge 
public. At the end of the day, I certainly won't do anything without 
the blessing of the elders. However, I hope that working with Native 
people who have done research and interpretation on Native culture 
helps me avoid being cut to size after I have sunk a whole lot of 
effort into it. But, I guess, I will only know afterwards how it went.

A part of me thinks that I wouldn't even have a huge problem if they 
tried to keep such stories to themselves. I would feel that something 
good came out of the interpretation efforts if I could act as a 
trigger for Native people to dig these stories out and tell them to 
their kids through some kind of interpretive programs.

Cheers,
Peter

Date:    Wed, 5 Jan 2005 12:34:53 -0500
From:    Lou Papai <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: medicine wheels & astronomy- one last suggestion

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Katherine,
	It's a great suggestion.  I don't know about anybody else, but I've
tried this approach.  It didn't work here.  The Native Americans here
thought it was a GREAT idea.  I wanted to educate our community on the
Miami's specifically.  I wanted to record someone doing constellation
stories in their own voices.  Nobody would do it.  They like the =
education
aspect - they just don't want to do it.  Very strange situation.  I =
even
went to an annual Pow Wow with native americans from all over the =
country.
Nothing!

	Interesting culture.

Lou Papai=20
Public Programs Manager=20
Science Central=20
1950 N. Clinton St.=20
Fort Wayne, IN  46805=20
(260) 424-2400, ext. 442=20
[log in to unmask]
www.sciencecentral.org
Latitude: 41=B0 05' 31"
Longitude: 85=B0 08' 22.9"

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