Planetariums as Loci for Indigenous Community Engagement

All people and all cultures share the same sky. Planetariums offer the opportunity to build community around cultural astronomy, both by telling stories from around the globe — and by engaging local indigenous communities in co-creating planetarium content. Panelists will share their experiences building planetarium programs that bridge cultures. This poster will describe an initiative bringing together expertise from China, India, Japan, the U.S., and Canada to develop cultural narratives that will become planetarium shorts. These shorts will be integrated with professional development that supports planetarium professionals in leveraging the content meaningfully for their audiences — and for building relationships with local indigenous communities.