In the case of the nation of Canada, Dr. Neilson shared that access to broadband internet has been promised by governments for years[1]. To that end the Canadian government has committed support to the satellite company Telesat[2] which currently has a constellation of about 300 LEO satellites in space to provide broadband internet access to almost two million Canadians who lack affordable access. Most of this access will impact large areas of Canada with small population densities who are disproportionately Indigenous. At the time of writing, it is unclear whether and how many communities have been consulted about this.
Nuanced approaches without appropriation are required. Indigenous peoples have their own governance, rights and needs. Both academia and industry should avoid statements emphasizing preferred narratives around satellite constellations. We must avoid such appropriations of Indigenous perspectives and needs, or misinterpreting them for pre-determined uses — this is a real issue now that astronomers are at the receiving end of colonization. Nuanced approaches that engage in long-term relationships and listening with communities are needed, recognising that consensus building happens differently in each community and culture. This is not a single issue across all Indigenous peoples (e.g., cultural sky traditions); rather, this is a complex tradeoff between broadband access, economic development, cultural heritage, and survival (many Indigenous peoples do not have access to clean water or other basic necessities).
We end by sharing that the co-Chairs of the Community Engagement Working Group were invited into extended dialogue with a circle of Oceania wayfinders ranging from Hawai‘i to Aotearoa and many Pacific communities, starting in the week of the SATCON2 workshop. It would be inappropriate to attempt to summarize these conversations this early in the process, but we honor the wayfinders’ gracious invitation into dialogue as we collectively move forward to preserve the health and integrity of the ocean above us as well as the ocean between our lands.
We express gratitude and support for these Indigenous perspectives offered at SATCON2. We hope that we can listen, consult, learn from the past and co-create an ethical sustainable future in space that honors our interconnection and does not come at the expense of things that belong to us all.
