Road To Your Name - Season 6, Episode 5: Visiting with Samantha Doxtator and learning about Haudenosaunee Star Stories & Indigenous Astronomy Knowledge

This episode was recorded in July 2023.Episode Title: Samantha Doxtator — Haudenosaunee Star Stories & Indigenous Astronomy Knowledge Show: The Road to Your Name Host: Lisa 🎧 Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/084ad62aEpisode Summary: This episode was recorded in July 2023.  In this episode, host, Lisa, sits down with Samantha Doxtator, of the Oneida Nation and Wolf Clan, who specializes in personal-development consulting grounded in Indigenous values, and has recently stepped into the role of steward of the Haudenosaunee star-stories research originally led by her late sister, Sasha. The discussion covers Indigenous astronomy, the deep traditions of star knowledge within Haudenosaunee culture, how this knowledge can heal and uplift Indigenous identities, and how Samantha is continuing the work of intergenerational knowledge transfer.In This Episode: • Samantha shares her background: travelling with life and employability skills workshops across nations, and how Indigenous astronomy gradually became a key focus. • The research journey of Samantha’s sister Sasha, her academic work collecting Haudenosaunee star-story knowledge, her passing in 2021, and how Samantha accepted her legacy and continues it. • The concept of star-world, sky-world, water-world, earth-world interconnections in Haudenosaunee cosmology: Samantha’s near-death experience, vision in a coma, and how it reinforced her role. • A detailed star story: the Big Dipper (as a Bear and three warriors) and how it functions as both calendar and guide for seasons, cultural understanding, and identity. • How meteors/meteor showers are interpreted as gifts from sky-world; the metaphor of star-dust in our veins reminding of our connection—Indigenous science meeting contemporary astronomy. • The importance of reclaiming knowledge: the difference between “lost” and “misplaced” star-stories and the invitation for individuals to share what they know, gather oral tradition, reconnect. • Samantha’s upcoming work: writing a kids’ book, creating a digital recording of her presentation, and continuing to share her workshops in person and online. • How listeners can engage: seeking out stories, stepping into the sky-world connection, and inviting the knowledge back into everyday life.Key Quotes:“When our people pass away … they become a supernova. Just like when a star passes away … the star dust from that supernova is the iron that makes our blood red.”“This isn’t a gift that’s normal. … But I have accepted the gift to continue her work so that it’s not forgotten.”“We were so many things. We were scientists and astronomers and biodiverse farmers. … We invented things. … When you really think about it, we were so many things.”Connect with Samantha Doxtator:Facebook: Samantha DoxtatorInstagram: @samantha.doxtator (aka “lifeofafreelancer”)Email: srdoxtator [at] hotmail.com Samantha offers presentations on Indigenous astronomy and star-stories for schools, community centres and online workshops.About the Show: The Road to Your Name features conversations with Indigenous voices reclaiming identity, purpose and connection. Each episode explores how culture, story, creativity and place come together to shape personal and community futures. Follow the show for more stories like this one.