By KEIRA JENKINS

The celestial emu has informed Aboriginal people’s knowledge on the animal for thousands of years. 

The constellation, formed by the dark clouds between the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, is a signal to many Indigenous nations when the emu is in breeding season, and when it is time to gather their eggs.

“If you pay attention to the sky throughout the year you’ll notice different things as the year goes on,” Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri astrophysicist Karlie Noon said.

“The celestial emu it takes on different forms … it tells us about what’s happening down here with the land dhinawan (emu).”

Ms Noon narrates the story of the emu in a new film project that premieres on Tuesday for National Science Week.

But Ms Noon said it is more than a story – it is a representation of important cultural knowledge.

“These stories are a way of connecting people, connecting them to the sky, to the land, this story in particular to the dhinawan, to culture and to creativity,” she said.

The Celestial Emu film was directed by Olivia Costa, with Gamilaroi and Tongan man Daniel Mateo representing the story through contemporary dance.

The emu is special to Mr Mateo, who performs with Bangarra dance theatre, so as he created the choreography he tried to embody the essence of the animal.

“The emu is my totem,” he said.

“I went into the studio and tapped into the knowings that my people have to land, sky and the weather and how that interconnectedness and relationship of sky to land could fit into my body.

“To be able to take these knowings further and still have that essence of why we do what we do, why we dance to tell these stories, it just felt like I was part of a bigger thing.”

The film is being shown at the Sydney Observatory on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

The evening also includes a talk from Gail Mabo, an artist and the daughter of Eddie Koiki Mabo and a First Nations sky tour with Uncle Ghillar Michael Anderson.

Mr Mateo said he hopes the film and the evening’s events will encourage people to engage and acknowledge First Nations beliefs and knowledge.

“I hope it opens up conversations in more Indigenous beliefs and astronomy and opens up space for our ways of knowing to be shared,” he said.

National Science Week runs until Sunday.

AAP