Often times in the astronomical research world, the contributions of cultures outside of Europe tend to go unnoticed by the larger scientific community. One of these cultures is the Native American group, who, for centuries upon centuries, have researched the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. Native American culture in the Americas has always revolved around hunting and farming, of which both activates required a large amount of reliance on astronomy to actually complete. Native Americans developed techniques which helped them measure the time of day, used the Moon and Sun as reference points for festivals, and tall tales were told about the night sky and how the night sky held power from God himself and could show humans the power of nature and human behavior. The Moon's phases were noted by the Natives, being used as a point in which a month-cycle would signify the start of a season on Earth. All in all, the Native American culture has contributed a lot to the realm of scientific research of astronomy, mainly a product of the the Native American belief system(s) and how this system interacted with the night/day sky above humanity's heads.
However, one standout astronomer which helped to contribute to humanity's understanding of astronomy is Mary Golda Ross. She was the first female Native American to work within the U.S space program, and played a critical role in the United States' victory in the Space Race. Her work within the top secret division of aerospace engineering, code named "Skunk Works" from Lockheed Martin, whose Skunk Works project accumulated with the Apollo 11 mission that put the first men (Americans) on the Moon. However, her contributions to the project, mainly her mathematical prowess, even from a young age, went largely forgotten by the bigger scientific community within the United States. She also had heavy contributions in creating travel plans for proposed missions to Venus and Mars, of which these plans never saw the light of day.
Outside of Lockheed Martin, Mary Golda Ross also had a profound effect on women's education for STEM, as she played a large role in making the concept of women in STEM acceptable within the larger astronomical community. This effect she had was largely due to her key presence within the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. As she retired from Lockheed Martin, she put much more of her effort and time into the Society of Women Engineers, helping to further grow the group's presence in the scientific community.
Overall, Native Americans have played a huge part in contributing to humanity's understanding of astronomy tenfold. Stories like Mary Golda Ross have been forgotten by the media and the larger scientific community, but their contributions to humanity's research of the stars and planets cannot be understated. People like Mary Golda Ross, the first female Native American engineer to work with the U.S government in astronomy, are the reason why we continue to strive for greatness in space. People like her deserve to be remembered by history for their sacrifices and work towards scientific knowledge in the realm of astronomy.
One Native American contribution in the astronomical realm is the creation of the Venus Calendar. Shown above, the Venus Calendar outlines the different phases of Venus, labeled according to Native religious interpretations of Venus' phases. Contributions like this calendar and one's made by astronomers like Mary Golda Ross often get forgotten to history, as their cultures/ethnic groups are not represented proportionally compared to white/European culture(s).
Justo (2023) Native American astronomy: Ancient discoveries and contributions, Native Tribe Info. Available at: https://nativetribe.info/native-american-astronomy-ancient-discoveries-and-contributions/#:~:text=Native%20American%20astronomy%20is%20often%20overlooked%20in%20discussions,a%20deep%20understanding%20of%20nature%20and%20their%20surroundings. (Accessed: 08 October 2024).
Lake, T. (no date) Mary Golda Ross, Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Golda-Ross (Accessed: 08 October 2024).
Mardon, A.A. and Steen , J. (2021) (PDF) indigenous North American cosmological and astronomical knowledge perspectives and teachings, Research Gate . Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355199902_Indigenous_North_American_Cosmological_and_Astronomical_Knowledge_Perspectives_and_Teachings (Accessed: 08 October 2024).
Pratt, John P. Witness of Venus Calendar Design. www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/2021/venus_cal_design.html. (Accessed: 08 October 2024).
Sloan, M. (2022) 8 Native American scientists and their important contributions, Discover Magazine. Available at: https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/8-native-american-scientists-you-should-know (Accessed: 08 October 2024).
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