Calgary’s TELUS Spark Science Centre is hosting an Indigenous Science Night on October 16, 2026, bringing together knowledge keepers, researchers, and astronomers to explore Indigenous relationships with the cosmos.
Stones, Stories and Stars at the Spark Centre
The TELUS Spark Science Centre in Calgary is bringing Indigenous scientists, astronomers, researchers and knowledge keepers together for a special evening dedicated to Indigenous astronomy, mathematics, and natural science. Scheduled for October 16 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 220 St. George’s Drive NE, the event invites visitors of all ages to engage directly with Indigenous relationships to astronomy, mathematics and the natural world.
Admission is free for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit guests. For non-Indigenous visitors, the facility offers reduced rates of $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Organizing Indigenous Science With Kori Czuy and Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton
The event was organized through a collaboration between Kori Czuy, director and special advisor for Indigenous science connections at Spark, and Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton. Czuy, who is Cree, Métis, and Polish and grew up in Treaty 8 territory by the Peace River, holds a Ph.D. in storying mathematics. Her research explores mathematics through work with different Elders. Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton holds the distinction of being the initial Indigenous woman in Canada to achieve a Ph.D. in astrophysics, and she serves as an Innu professor at the University of Toronto.
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We’re looking at these ancient stone circles and how these different sites, sometimes called medicine wheels, are connected with the stars … We’re trying to connect the different stories with alignments.
Kori Czuy, director and special advisor for Indigenous science connections, via Windspeaker
According to Czuy, some of these tracked alignments follow astronomical cycles reaching back as far as 26,000 years. Visitors can interact with a large stone circle map to practice aligning sites with planets, the moon, and various North Stars.
Ancient Alignments, Vega, and Dark-Space Knowledge
The programming connects ancient stellar stories with rigorous mathematical tracking. Czuy noted that 10,000 years ago, shifts in the Earth’s axis meant that Vega served as the North Star rather than Polaris, illustrating the deep antiquity of community stories tied to the land.
In addition to ancient alignments, the evening delves into dark-space knowledge and black holes. Inside the mobile planetarium, visitors can watch the debut of Blackholes: Knowledges from the Dark
, which sheds light on the ways numerous Indigenous groups globally recognized the position and importance of the blackhole situated at the core of our universe.
Scholars, Knowledge Keepers, and Activities at the Spark Centre
The gathering features presentations and discussions led by a diverse roster of Indigenous scholars, scientists, and cultural practitioners.
- Renowned astronomer and author Wilfred Buck of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation
- Dr. Greg Cajete, a Tewa scholar
- Dakota astronomer and physicist Jim Rock
- Dr. Alvin D. Harvey, a Diné space ecologist and systems engineer
- Muckleshoot Nation knowledge keeper and cedar weaver Hanford McCloud
- Blackfoot astronomer Rob Cardinal
- Red River Métis scholar-artist Dr. Danielle Lussier
- Metaphysics philosopher Jessica Heim
Alongside telescope observations and community conversations, the evening includes a moonlight market featuring Indigenous items for the upcoming holiday season, as well as land-inspired food offerings. Emphasizing the hands-on nature of the program, Czuy noted that there’s no lectures. You get to do the Indigenous science
.