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Annette S. Lee

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Annette S. Lee
Alma mater
OccupationAstrophysicist, professor, painter Edit this on Wikidata
AwardsAAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement (2021)

Annette S. Lee is an American astrophysicist and professional artist.[1] Lee is the director of Native Skywatchers, a program created to record, map, and share Indigenous star knowledge.[2] She is mixed-race Lakota and works with Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota communities to preserve those cultures' astronomical and ecological knowledge.[1]

Background and education

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Lee is mixed-race Lakota from the Wanbli Luta (Red Eagle) family and is closely associated with Ojibwe communities in Minnesota.[3] Lee is married to fellow artist and Native Skywatcher member, William Wilson.[4]

Lee has two bachelor's degrees, one from the University of California, Berkeley in Applied Mathematics (1992) and another from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in Art (1998).[5] She went on to earn two master's degrees, a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University in 2000, with a focus on painting, and a Master of Science in Astrophysics from Washington University in 2008.[5] She earned her Ph.D. in physics and astronomy at the University of Western Cape in 2020.[5]

Career

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Lee launched the Native Skywatchers initiative in 2007.[6] The project works to revitalize the star lore and astronomical and ecological knowledge of Indigenous cultures, including the sustainable engineering and agriculture practiced by North American native peoples.[7] Lee and her collaborators, including Jim Rock, William Wilson, and Carl Gawboy, consult with Indigenous cultural experts to create star maps, constellation guides, and educational curricula.[8] Native Skywatchers organizes in-person workshops and symposia which bring together scientists, students, community members, and Indigenous knowledge keepers.[6] Lee's paintings are an important part of the Native Skywatchers project, illustrating constellations from Ojibwe and D/Lakota cultures.[3] The Native Skywatchers initiative received a Next Gen STEM grant from NASA's Office of STEM Engagement to fund a series of seasonal virtual sessions for K–12 students from October 2020 to April 2021.[9]

Along with indigenous astronomer Wilfred Buck, Lee curated the "One Sky, Many Astronomies" exhibit at Ottawa's Canada Science and Technology Museum, featuring constellations of Canada's indigenous cultures.[10] A traveling exhibit, "One Sky, Many Worlds: Indigenous Voices in Astronomy," includes Lee as one of the principal curators.[11]

In 2014 Lee was the Olga J. and G. Roland Denison Visiting Professor of Native American Studies at Central Michigan University.[12] Lee was the 2018/2019 AIA Webster Lecturer for the Archaeological Institute of America.[13] She was a Shapley Lecturer at the American Astronomical Society and is currently an Honorary/Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics.[7] Lee was a keynote speaker at the International Dark-Sky Association 2020 Global Conference.[14]

Until 2020, Lee was an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at St. Cloud State University where she taught courses including Indigenous Astronomy, Astronomy Education Research (AER), and the History & Philosophy of Science.

In 2021, Lee won the AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement in Science for her community education efforts in teaching Indigenous knowledge of the stars.[6]

Selected publications

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  • Ojibwe Sky star map constellation guidebook : an introduction to Ojibwe Star knowledge / Annette S. Lee, William Wilson, Jeff Tibbetts, Carl Gawboy (2014). ISBN 9780615986784
  • D(L)akota Star map constellation guidebook : an introduction to D(L)akota Star knowledge / Annette S. Lee, Jim Rock, Charlene O'Rourke (2014). ISBN 9780692232545
  • Gaye giin giganawaabamin / original concept & original artwork by Annette S. Lee, written in Ojibwa by Rose Tainter, Mary Hermes & Annette S. Lee, translation by Rose Tainter & Mary Hermes (2015). ISBN 9781936115112
  • The forever sky / Thomas Peacock ; illustrations by Annette S. Lee (2019). ISBN 9781681340982

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Parks Are Finally Embracing Indigenous Astronomy". Outside Online. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  2. ^ Taylor, Christie. "Relearning The Star Stories Of Indigenous Peoples". Science Friday. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  3. ^ a b "AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion". Profiles in Science Engagement with Faith Communities. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  4. ^ Wessel, Ann. "Native Skywatchers melds art, astronomy, culture". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  5. ^ a b c "Sophia Project". www.sophia-project.net. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  6. ^ a b c Korte, Andrea (4 February 2021). "Astronomer and artist receives AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Women in Space Conference". Dr. Annette S. Lee. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  8. ^ Lee, Annette S.; Rock, Jim; Wilson, William; Gawboy, Carl (2013). "The Red Day Star, The Women's Star and Venus: D(L/N)akota, Ojibwe and Other Indigenous Star Knowledge". The International Journal of Science in Society. 4 (3): 153–166. arXiv:2009.02127. doi:10.18848/1836-6236/CGP/v04i03/51398. S2CID 165327482.
  9. ^ "Two Eyed Seeing – NASA & Indigenous Astronomy – For the Benefit of All". Native Skywatchers. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ Taylor, Christie (6 September 2019). "Relearning The Star Stories Of Indigenous Peoples". Science Friday. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  11. ^ "One Sky, Many Worlds: Indigenous Voices in Astronomy". Teo Exhibitions. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Native Skywatchers: Revitalization of Indigenous Star Knowledge" (PDF). Central Michigan University. Retrieved 13 March 2021.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "AIA Lecturer: Annette Lee". Archaeological Institute of America. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Annette Lee to Present Keynote at 2020 Global Conference". International Dark-Sky Association. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
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