ASTR1003 Indigenous Practice Exam questions

Q1: Provide an example of a significant archaeological site in Australia and highlight its historical importance.

• Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

• World’s oldest aquaculture system (32,000–65,000 years)

• Includes houses, rock art, quarries

• Showcases Indigenous land manipulation and culture

Q2: Describe the initial interactions between Captain Cook’s expedition and the Eora peoples of the Botany Bay region during the colonization of Australia in 1770.

• Initially good relations and trade

• Tensions escalated with taking of Aboriginal women

• Led to displacement and destructive colonial policies

Q3: Explain the diversity in Indigenous knowledge systems among different communities, using examples from Wamba Wamba and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples.

• Wamba Wamba: pine tree as sky-world portal

• Dja Dja Wurrung: rope of hair from Ancestors

• Unique knowledge based on land and environment

Q4: According to the Bawaka Country group, how do they define "Country," and what elements does it encompass?

• Includes land, sea, sky, people, animals, celestial bodies

• Everything interconnected—no concept of “outer space”

• Actions in one part affect the whole

Q5: What is the significance of Songlines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and how are they related to Dreaming stories?

• Pathways tied to Dreaming stories

• Embed knowledge of law, culture, survival

• Aid memory and connect land and sky

Q6: What is the purpose of the Seven Sisters Songline, and how is the responsibility for storing and sharing its knowledge distributed among different language groups?

• Describes journey of Pleiades cluster

• Different groups store and share specific parts

Q7: How is Indigenous astronomical knowledge divided among community members, and what role do kinship systems play in this distribution?

• Roles based on gender, age, kinship

• Knowledge linked to ancestral stories

Q8: List the key phases of the Moon's cycle and explain what causes the phenomenon known as Earthshine.

• Phases: New, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent

• Earthshine: Sunlight reflected from Earth lights up the dark part of the Moon

Q9: How do the Yolngu people of North-East Arnhem Land connect the Moon's apparent size and the tides in their cultural understanding?

• Larger Moon = lower tides, Smaller Moon = higher tides

• Moon filling/emptying linked to tidal changes

Q10: What celestial arrangement is necessary for eclipses to occur, and why don't solar and lunar eclipses happen every month?

• Syzygy: Moon, Earth, Sun aligned

• Monthly alignment rare due to Moon’s tilted orbit

• Apparent size match due to distance and size ratio

Q11: How does Indigenous knowledge differ from the Western perspective in terms of storing information?

• Relational and interconnected

• Ties sky knowledge to land, cycles, species

Q13: How is the appearance of the Celestial Emu in the sky connected to food knowledge and seasonal knowledge, according to the Gamilaroi people?

• Marks emu egg laying and hatching

• Guides seasonal hunting and water availability

Q14: What is the significance of the discovery of variable stars, and how did it change our understanding of the universe?

• Challenged static Aristotelian Universe

• Showed cosmos is dynamic and changing

Q15: How is the variability of stars represented in the oral tradition of the Humiliation of Nyeeruna from the Kokatha people, and what role do the stars play in the story?

• Betelgeuse (Orion’s hand) brightens/fades with emotion

• Star twinkling shows sister’s laughter and Nyeeruna’s humiliation

Q16: What ceremonial significance does Venus hold in the traditions of Yuwaalyaay peoples, and how is it connected to Mars in their cultural astronomy?

• Venus signals sacred fire ceremonies

• Venus = blue-green opal, Mars = red opal

• Both represent eyes of spiritual beings

Q17: How are comets perceived in Indigenous traditions? Provide an example of a cultural interpretation related to comets, such as the beliefs of the Euahlayi nation in New South Wales?

• Seen as bad omens, e.g., drought signs

• Euahlayi: comets drink rain, causing dry conditions

Q18: How does the Indigenous story of the Fisherman Brothers connect to the astrophysical phenomenon of supernova, and what evidence supports this connection?

• Story of a bright star after brother’s death matches SN393

• Chinese records and supernova remnants support alignment

Q19: How do Torres Strait Islander peoples use the twinkling nature of stars for weather prediction, and what atmospheric processes are involved in the observed twinkling patterns?

• Clear stars = calm, hot weather

• Twinkling = wind, seasonal change

• Caused by atmospheric turbulence and water vapor

Q20: How do the Torres Strait Islander people on Badu Island use moon halos for weather prediction, and what factors do they consider in making these predictions?

• Halo + wind = rain soon

• Halo + calm = delayed rain

• Bright Moon color is also a factor

Q21: How do Torres Strait Islander people use the twinkling nature of stars for weather prediction?

• Clear stars = hot, calm weather

• Twinkling = seasonal change and winds

Q22: How many seasons do the D'harawal people recognize, and how do they use natural events as seasonal markers in their traditional knowledge system?

• Six seasons

• Marked by animal behavior and plant blooming

Q23: How do Indigenous peoples in the Torres Strait Islands use variations in the brightness of stars, such as Vega, to gain insights into seasonal changes?

• Vega twinkling = dew and wetter periods coming

• Linked to water vapor affecting star brightness

Q24: How do Songlines serve as navigational tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

• Encode stories into land and sky

• Guide movement across country

• Link physical paths with celestial markers

Q25: How do star maps assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in navigation?

• Stars linked to landmarks

• Indicate travel direction and waypoints

• Useful day or night

Q26: In sea navigation, how do the Torres Strait Islander peoples use the Tagai constellation, and what role does it play in their journey to Mer Island?

• Navigate using Tagai’s left hand (southeast)

• Stars act as sea navigation markers

Q27: What are some methods used by Indigenous peoples, such as the Yaraldi people of South Australia and the Wardaman peoples of the Northern Territory, for timekeeping, and how do these methods involve the sky and landscape?

• Yaraldi: divide day using Sun, 7 time periods

• Wardaman: rock art tracks seasons

• Tools: message sticks, stone arrangements

Q28: What is the cultural significance of Mauna Kea, and what challenges does its proposed use for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) pose, especially from the perspective of the kānaka ʻōiwi people?

• Sacred mountain with shrines and burial sites

• TMT seen as cultural and environmental threat

• Local opposition from Native Hawaiians

Q29: What are some benefits and challenges associated with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, for the local communities in the regions where the observatory is located?

• Benefits: jobs, local investment, scholarships

• Challenges: land use, displacement, uneven benefit distribution

Q30: How does the term "cosmos nullius" relate to the treatment of space in Western societies, and what historical concept does it parallel?

• Space treated as empty and unclaimed

• Mirrors "terra nullius" used in colonization

Q31: What legal developments in Australia recognized the land rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and what was the outcome of these developments?

• Eddie Mabo case (1992) ended "terra nullius"

• Native Title Act (1993) established rights to land and ceremonies

Q32: Why do astronomers prefer to build telescopes on high mountains, and what challenges arise when selecting locations for telescopes in remote indigenous-inhabited areas?

• High elevation reduces atmospheric interference

• Conflicts with Indigenous sacred sites and history of displacement

Q33: How did opponents use different arguments, including environmental concerns, indigenous significance, and wildlife impact, to oppose the construction of the observatory on Mt Graham, Arizona?

• Claimed National Forest status

• Highlighted sacredness to Apache people

• Concern for endangered red squirrels

Q34: What lesson did the European Southern Observatory (ESO) learn from its experience in Chile, and how did it change its approach?

• Learned to engage local communities early

• Adjusted to prioritize community collaboration (e.g., ALMA project)

Q35: What is Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and why is it considered a vital process in protecting Indigenous rights?

• Ensures Indigenous consent before projects begin

• Involves no coercion, full information, early consultation

• Promotes self-determination and co-ownership

Q36: What is the concept of 'Caring for Country' in the context of Indigenous communities, and how does it extend to the sky?

• Stewardship of land, water, and sky

• Includes ceremonies, knowledge sharing, land management

• Sky protection includes reducing light pollution and honoring sacred skies

Q37: What is light pollution, and how does it impact both astronomy and ecosystems?

• Artificial light obscures stars, e.g., Celestial Emu

• Disrupts nocturnal animals and navigation

• Types: glare, skyglow, trespass, clutter

Q38: What are some effective measures to combat light pollution, and how can changes in lighting practices benefit both the environment and human health?

• Use motion sensors, timers, shielded lights

• Switch to red-toned lighting

• Benefits: clearer skies, better sleep, reduced eye aging

Q39: How does the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance collaborate with diverse stakeholders to address light pollution?

• Partners with scientists, industries, planners, and tourism groups

• Promotes dark sky policies and education