Frontier Fellow 2024-2025: Piramon Kumnurdmanee
Title of Research Project: “Cultural Cosmos: Interactive Map for Lakota Astronomical Sites in Pahá Sápa (The Black Hills)”
Summary:
Lakota people hold the philosophy that the Earth is the reflection of the star world. This project aims to create an interactive map website showing how Lakota people associate the hills in the Black Hills region with the sky above, as featured by celestial body alignments, ceremonies, oral traditions, and interactions with neighboring indigenous groups. The website will present current maps along with pre-colonized geographical territories to amplify the voices of the underrepresented. This website will be a tool to preserve precious indigenous astronomy wisdom to appreciate the inclusive and equitable understanding of our shared cosmic heritage. Faculty advisors for this project are Professor Ryan Foley, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Professor Soleste Hilberg, Education.