Star Legends of the Haudenosaunee

This talk will be live at the Martz-Kohl Observatory and available online via Zoom. You are encouraged to come to the observatory to meet Ja:no’s Bowen, as well as the astronomy team at MKO, to join in what could be a lively Q&A after her talk. Facility tours will follow. Dress appropriately for the weather as if you were outside. The classroom is heated but the domes are not.

Long before modern telescopes mapped the cosmos, the night sky served as an enduring record of human history, culture, and science. For the indigenous peoples of our region, the stars were not just distant points of light, but active participants in a rich tapestry of oral tradition.

Ja:no’s Bowen returns to the Martz-Kohl Observatory to share how these ancient celestial maps continue to guide and inspire the Six Nations today. Her talk, “Star Legends of the Haudenosaunee,” will explore the profound significance of well-known constellations, such as the Pleiades, through the powerful art of storytelling. Bowen will reveal how these celestial patterns carry a legacy that spans generations of the Haudenosaunee—historically known as the Iroquois Confederacy or the League of Five Nations—originally the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations, and joined by the Tuscarora in the early 18th century to become the Six Nations.

Bowen brings a unique perspective to the field as a Seneca language reclamation advocate and Faith Keeper. A member of the Beaver clan of the Seneca Nation, she has centered her career on preserving and teaching Seneca language and culture, beginning in 2002 as a language and culture teacher on the Allegany Territory and later serving as Director of the Department of Seneca Language Teacher Support and Community Outreach. She holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School, and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Bowen also serves on the USET Culture and Heritage Committee, the Natural Resources Committee of the Seneca Nation, the Board of Trustees for the Seneca Iroquois National Museum, and the Anti-Racism Initiative for the G20 Interfaith Forum.

Zoom Meeting

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Time: August 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM, Eastern Time

Topic: Janine Ja:no’s Bowen
Meeting ID:  871 9223 3484
Passcode: program

Click the “One Clink Link” shown below. When prompted, click “open zoom.us” in the dialog shown by your browser. If you don’t see a dialog, click the blue “Launch Meeting” in the webpage.

One Click Link: August 2026 Zoom Link

Zoom URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87192233484?pwd=zdzwSgT0N8yhKCcMoDSLTUHVugQlPR.1

Join by SIP:  87192233484@zoomcrc.com

Meeting chat link: https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87192233484