Stories in the stars shared at science festival

Theresa Sainty can’t imagine looking up at the night sky and not seeing the stars.

The Pakana woman says looking up at the night skies above lutruwita (Tasmania) she can see the creation stories of her people.

“It’s important, culturally, for us to be able to continue that,” she said.

“It is a part of culture and it is part of caring for Country.”

Ms Sainty, a scholar at the University of Tasmania, will share stories of Wurangkili Liwari Nipaluna (the night sky of Hobart) with visitors to the city’s Beaker Street Festival.

Drawing on her work in language revitalisation and traditional knowledge systems, Ms Sainty will talk about the connection between the sky, land, culture and people.

The session, held on kunanyi (Mt Wellington), is not about becoming an expert in Palawa creation stories and astronomy, Ms Sainty said, but gaining an understanding of the ways culture has endured for thousands of years.

“It’s about continuing the Palawa story, which is a story of survival and initiative and adaptability,” she said.

“We were the first astronomers, we were the first scientists and I think it’s really important that the wider community … know that we have survived and we continue with culture that has miraculously continued uninterrupted irrespective of colonisation.”

At nearby Piyura Kitina (Risdon Cove) Kitana Mansell will be telling stories of Palawa people and celebrating their knowledge and strength through food.

The event, ningina Palawa kipli piyura kitina-ta, which means to give, to get, to bring Palawa food, was more than a shared meal, she said.

“It’s a journey into the heart of what Aboriginal food is and our culture and telling those stories of Country and tradition,” Ms Mansell said.

“Piyura Kitina is a perfect example of how we’ve been able to do that with the land given back to our community since 1995, showing how we as Aboriginal people can take care of Country in our own way, and not having rules and regulations around practising our culture.”

There’s a dark history at Risdon Cove, as the site of first impacts of colonisation in Tasmania.

But Ms Mansell said she hopes to showcase the native flavours of the area, and the stories that stretch far beyond colonisation.

“For over 150 years Aboriginal people were not allowed to eat our traditional foods, or practice our cultural harvesting,” she said.

“To be able to have the responsibility as a proud Palawa woman to showcase that we’re reconnecting back to our food and our history, it’s a great opportunity.”

Beaker Street Festival will be held on August 12-19.

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