The City of Regina, Saskatchewan Science Centre, Regina Public Library, and the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre are coming together to celebrate Indigenous Storytelling Month by putting on a Star Stories Night. The event will focus on Indigenous storytelling centered around astronomy with many fun activities for all ages.
Activities at the Regina Public Library Mâmawêyatitân Centre include a special visit from Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, the first Indigenous woman to receive a PHD in astrophysics. Rousseau-Nepton will be sharing star stories inside of a star dome, and there will also be a colouring and button making station and refreshments available.
At the Saskatchewan Science Centre participants can learn about coding and Indigenous understanding of the phases of the moon and there will be an activity featuring Indigenous astronauts and a hands-on science demonstration. The exhibit floor at the science centre will also be open for the evening and the Royal Astronomical Society will be opening their Kalium Observatory for public viewing.
A Constellation craft with Indigenous artist Tianna Delorme will be taking place at the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre. People will be able to take a guided nature night walk and learn about night vision with Nature Regina, along with nature art, a snow kitchen, and more before ending the night sitting around the fire with a hot cup of cocoa and participants sharing their own stories.
“It’s totally free and its kind of come and go so for example there’s going to be a limited amount of people that can go inside of the star dome or inside of the telescope at the Science Centre at a time, but all of the programming has been arranged to be in small, short intervals so that we can flow a lot of people through,” said Robyn Barclay, Coordinator of Cultural Development at the City of Regina.
The Star Storey Night will take place on February 16 from 5pm to 10pm at all three locations listed above. For more information on this event, visit tourism Regina’s website.