(NAME-MCE) The only Native American astronomer?

[KispokoT at aol.com]

Greetings!
I'd like to share this article with NAME  members. Mr. Lamenti's vision and 
efforts are very inspiring!
Gina Boltz
Director, Native Village Publications 
Director, Youth Forum for The International Council of Thirteen  Indigenous 
Grandmothers 
_http://www.nativevillage.org_ (http://www.nativevillage.org)  
Secretary/Treasurer, Link Center Foundation 
_www.linkcenterfoundation.org_ (http://www.linkcenterfoundation.org)  
 
 
The only Native American astronomer?

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Dennis Lamenti believes he is the only Native  American 
astronomer in the U.S. with -- or working on -- a graduate degree. He  
actively has sought others through conferences, speeches and committee meetings  and 
comes up empty handed. 
But he intends to change that.  
 (http://newsinfo.iu.edu/asset/page/normal/4201.html)  
Dennis Lamenti 
_Print-Quality Photo _ (http://newsinfo.iu.edu/asset/page/normal/4201.html) 
The IU graduate student is planning a spring Bloomington campus visit and a  
retreat for Native American students to a national observatory, and is 
involved  in a nation-wide event, all to bring more Native Americans to the field of  
astronomy while introducing his culture's astronomic heritage to the world.  
"Our stories tell us how to live, and we don't have to lose them when we move 
 into university settings," said Lamenti, a Navajo IU graduate student 
studying  astronomy. "It's all in the stars."  
Lamenti's cultural heritage will shine on center stage in 2009 during the  
International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The world-wide celebration aligns  
with the 400th anniversary of modern astronomy, which began when Galileo first  
looked at the stars through a telescope. More than 30 countries will hold 
events  throughout the year, including the United States.  
Lamenti is chairing the United States' Cultural Astronomy and Storytelling  
National Committee and is planning a big event for June 2009.  
Lamenti's plans involve a live Web cast of the summer solstice from an  
ancient observatory -- possibly from Chaco Canyon in New Mexico or Chitzen Itza  in 
Mexico -- which will be broadcast to museums and observatories across the  
country. It mainly will target children, as will all of the IYA 2009 events, and 
 hopefully will feature an elder from Native American tribes, local to each 
site,  to speak about astronomy in their respective cultures.  
"I really want the program to continue past 2009 to help children become  
interested in science," said Lamenti.  
Additionally, Lamenti is actively working to attract more Native Americans to 
 the field of astronomy and to higher education in general. He is attempting 
to  raise funds to bring 20 Native American high school students interested in 
 college to Indiana University's Bloomington campus for a week. And he has  
already received almost $10,000 to take several Native American students to 
Kitt  Peak National Observatory, located on the Tohono O'odham Nation near 
Tucson,  Ariz., for a week-long study of astronomy.  
"Many observatories like Kitt Peak are located on the sacred ground of local  
tribes," said Lamenti. "And I believe that if the employees and astronomers  
working at these sites can be Native Americans, then they should be. Hopefully 
 these programs will help bring more Native Americans into the field." 
_http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7009.html_ 
(http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7009.html) 




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