Speaker
Description
The use and appropriation of common spaces, public spaces, and indigenous lands have become frequent and normalized, unfortunately this is also true for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences. In this work, the indigenous concerns and social movements regarding sacred lands and astronomical facilities that have been built upon them will be presented. The joint initiative IAU/RAS/AAS Working Group on Culturally Sensitive Sites will also be presented along with its main objectives, and first activities. The first efforts will be two-fold: first, to make astronomers better aware of such sensitivities and how they may best be addressed, and next how much empathy can better bond science and culture.
The aim of this work is to open astronomical science to broader perspectives, the role of native societies in preserving humanity’s astronomical heritage, and indeed how astronomy can play a decisive role as an open discipline in the development of science and inclusivity worldwide. Research, education and outreach in Astronomy and Astrophysics must play a role in that. We all live under one sky.
