Skywatchers[1] founded by astronomer-artist Dr. Annette Lee. Speakers also raised the disproportionate impact of colonization, climate change and COVID19 on Indigenous communities.
Duty to consult. Indigenous peoples and nations must be consulted and their decisions should be respected. Many nations might view these satellites as inappropriate and as another form of pollution or colonization, but many nations might view the benefits of the satellites, such as access to broadband internet, as being valuable to their communities. However, it is not the purview of the workshop report authors, or academia and industry, to dictate the impact of these LEO satellites on Indigenous peoples. As such, the discussion would be better served as a nation-to-nation dialogue that includes consultation and consent.
Urgent need for cultural competency in space agencies and space actors. The accelerating situation with satellite constellations and the use of near-Earth space reveals an urgent need for space policy and scientific programs rooted in cultural competency and sensitivity to cultural traditions. NASA could lead the way by having an Office of Tribal Affairs or an Office of Cultural Protocol. Such an office could address ongoing practices around sensitive issues (e.g., what is heritage and who gets to define it; the thriving export business of human remains and ashes to near-Earth space). Several participants also suggested that NASA is missing an opportunity for due diligence on a major international issue: engaging sovereign nations in space exploration. NASA has much to learn from Indigenous ways of knowing and integrative scientific-cultural practices such as wayfinding, which have reflected for millennia the relatively new NASA values of Inclusion and Mission Success. Participants shared that a talking circle with NASA leadership is needed — something that has been very rich when allowed to happen — rather than the current approach of being sent in circles when Indigenous scientists and communities wish to be heard.
We can also learn from inclusive or creative approaches in other countries, e.g., in New Zealand, a small yet highly active spacefaring nation. Recent major national shifts in cultural competency include the official declaration[2] of the heliacal rising of Matariki (The Pleiades) as a national holiday honoring Māori calendrical and cultural traditions. In addition, national initiatives in New Zealand are required to protect and enact Māori principles and incorporate Māori in economic and cultural development, as per Te Tiriti o Waitangi | the Treaty of Waitangi. The New Zealand government has to consider how any policy affects Māori empowerment and communities, including for instance in science implementation and funding.[3] New Zealand has five dark-sky reserves at present, for culture, astrotourism, and science; iwi-owned astrotourism in the largest reserve contributes to rural economic development, and the increased visibility of satellites there has been noted.
Legal and policy issues in space in the context of treaties with Sovereign Indigenous Nations. A growing number of issues need legal clarification and explicit addressing[4]. These include: how do we define the environment of the Earth, where does Earth end and space begin, and what is the legal jurisdiction of Earth's laws? What are the legal obligations for state and private actors in space given existing treaties with sovereign Indigenous nations? We need written agreements between industry,
- ↑ https://www.nativeskywatchers.com/
- ↑ https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/employment-and-skills/employment-legislation-reviews/matariki/matarikipublic-holiday/
- ↑ http://www.maramatanga.co.nz/sites/default/files/Rauika%20Ma%CC%84ngai_A%20Guide%20to%20Vision%20Ma%CC%84tauranga_FINAL.pdf
- ↑ E.g., https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01954-4
