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Article: Mask of Black God: the Pleiades in Navajo cosmology.
- Article from:
- Journal of College Science Teaching
- Article date:
- October 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 National Science Teachers Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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One Navajo legend attributes the creation of the primary stars and constellations to Black God. Today, a famous star cluster--the Pleiades--often appears on the traditional mask worn by chanters impersonating Black God during special ceremonies. In this case study, students learn about the Pleiades in Navajo cosmology while honing their observational and star map skills.
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The case
The Pleiades star cluster is easy to recognize. It is composed of several hundred young stars that are over 400 light years away. Only the brightest stars are easily visible to the unaided eye, appearing as a compact set of six jewels in the ...