Indigenous Cultural Competence for Astronomers

In this work, we describe the need for the development of a model of indigenous competences for astronomers and how we can work together collaboratively for the benefit of Indigenous communities.

Western astronomy suffers from a lack of understanding about Indigenous Knowledge, often promoting misconceptions or pushing agendas that serve to benefit Western astronomy over the needs and desires of the Indigenous community. Several case studies are provided: Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and Morazan Project in Central America.

The work presents the data that lead to the conclusion that appropriate collaboration between non-Indigenous scientists and Indigenous stakeholders, as well as appropriate cultural training for scientists, will provide pathways for promoting and valuing Indigenous astronomical knowledge for the development of astronomy within the parameters of inclusion and equity.