Wilfred Buck is more than “a beloved spiritual guide and effervescent Elder from the Cree nation.” His goal is to show to the world that Indigenous astronomy is just as relevant too. It’s not all Greco-Roman.
Wilfred Buck has found a home, and his story can be seen on Crave. As for when this documentary will hit HBO because this Canadian streaming service also includes their content, I assume it will be broadcast on other networks too. That may start next year. That way, fellow stargazers can look at why his passion for exploring what twinkles on the night sky can be passed on to another generation.
And where he goes are towns and campuses singing a special tune. While I like to call him a fellow Traveling Wilbury, he’s more of a scholar than musician. What he offers are stories about the constellations according to his native indian beliefs.
Everything you want to know about the travelling wilbury, Wilfred Buck, is answered here. Okay, he’s not a musician, but he might as well be given his charming personality.
Proudly sponsored by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.
Playing at Victoria Film Festival’s F1RST: A Celebration of Indigenous Film on June 21, 2024. For tickets, please visit this link here.
The story of Wilfred Buck is familiar. Here, we see an intimate portrayal of who he is not only as an indigenous person from Northern (Central) Manitoba but also that of a scholar-bard. Whether that qualifies him as a geek, I’m sure it does!
Just why he’s special is because of what he adds to his lectures. He brings the astronomy to life because of what they represent according to his native roots. For example, the North Star has several names. It’s either known as the Keewatin, which means Going Home Star, or Ekakatchet Atchakos, which in English “It stands Still.” That’s because when anyone photographs the midnight black sky for more than five minutes, the result will consist of curved streaks, and the only star that doesn’t move at all is Polaris.
After watching this film, I’m interested in taking up astronomy again. I was a hobby stargazer once, and that’s because I loved the lore attached to it. Although they came from Greco-Roman studies, I wanted to know more about the constellation of Orion. In Egypt, the locals there believed he was Osiris. But in North America, the natives saw an animal instead, the bison!
National Film Board of Canada