Star Power

Star Power. . , Living under a vast blanket of stars above the Great Plains, Native Americans had an interest in the stars. Stars are believed to be Woniya of Wakan Tanka, "the holy breath of the Great Spirit." Constellations in the night sky evoked stories and beliefs., In the past, knowledge of the stars and how they moved was kept by a medicine man, called a Star Bundle Keeper. He understood the stars and could apply that knowledge to the seasons. This knowledge was passed down through generations with stories., [Captions:] , The Lakota call the Pleiades star cluster Wicincala Sakowin, or Seven Little Girls., Since plains tribes believe the sky mirrors the earth, they believe the Milky Way is the campfire of relatives. The Milky Way represents the journey of the deceased. The circle represents the village of the universe, and each light represents a fire in the middle of a village with tipis surrounding it., Wicahpi is the Lakota word for star. The root, wica, means "humankind," and hpi means "to fall." Many Native Americans also have stories about the North Star not moving. The Lakota phrase Wicahpi Owanjila means "star which stands in one place."