Academy Talk: Finding Home Among the Stars

The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, in partnership with the Mead Library Foundation, presents a special program exploring how people across cultures and generations have looked to the stars for direction, meaning, and a sense of home. The program features Travis Novitsky, an Anishinaabe photographer and night sky advocate from the Grand Portage Nation in northeast Minnesota, and Dr. Robert Mathieu, Professor of Astronomy at the UW–Madison. Through story, imagery, and science, Novitsky and Mathieu explore how Indigenous star knowledge and modern astronomy have shaped human movement and belonging across time. Novitsky shares visual stories from decades of photographing the night skies over his homeland and reflects on our shared responsibility to protect dark skies. Mathieu connects these traditions to contemporary astronomy and offers practical tips for stargazing, including how to begin observing the night sky and what tools can enhance the experience. The program is a blend of storytelling, science, and practical insight that invites viewers to reconnect with the stars that have guided people home for generations.