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Dark Sky Festival
   August 17 - 20, 2023

2022 Festival at a glance
Thursday (Aug 18)
   - Opening & Blessing ceremony  (meet-n-greet, refreshments, snacks)
   - Presentation - Indigenous Skies
   - Observation session  (Dr. Roberta Bondar Northern Observatory)
Friday (Aug 19)
   - Afternoon youth activities and programs
   - Stellar Workshop - Reclaiming Star & Moon Knowledge
   - TAWBAS Seminars (presentations, workshops)
   - Welcome dinner
   - Keynote Session - Indigenous Skies w Richard Van Camp & Friends
   - Observing session
Saturday (Aug 20)
   - Afternoon youth activities and programs
   - Cultural Workshop & Activities - Reclaiming Family Medicine
   - TAWBAS demonstration
   - Star BBQ
   - Sunset Concert  (acoustic musical presentation)
   - Observing session  (telescopes, constellation tours, etc.)
Sunday (Aug 21)
   - Breakfast  (charcuterie plate, cereals, fruits)
   - Festival wrap up
DSF Quick Links
DSF Frequently asked questions
Travel and Lodging Information
Area  /  Local Maps     (DSF info)
Information Links (3rd party sites)
  -  Wood Buffalo National Park
  -  Queen Elizabeth Campground (Fort Smith)
  -  Town of Fort Smith - Visitor Information

2022 Ursa Major Sponsors

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Guests Speakers (2022)
Keynote Moderator / Workshop Host
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Richard Van Camp
​Richard is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) Nation from Fort Smith.
He is a graduate of the En’owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.

Richard is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. His novel, The Lesser Blessed,
is now a movie with First Generation Films and premiered in September of 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival. He is the author of five collections of short stories, six baby books, three children’s books, five comics and much more.

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>>  Checkout Richard's Website

​Keynote Session Guests
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Chris Cannon
Chris, an assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska. He has spent the past decade researching traditional northern Dene astronomy across Alaska and the NWT.
His research focus is Northern Dene (Athabaskan) language and culture with a particular emphasis on astronomical knowledge across Dene ethnolinguistic groups. He enjoys traveling the land with traditional knowledge bearers and has collaborated on several projects to transform his research into materials and deliverables that are of use to Dene communities and the general public.


Presentation Host (video link) 
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Roland Dechense
Roland Dechense is a long-time astronomer and a long-term fellow and contributor to the RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada).
Currently he serves on RASC's Light Pollution Abatement committee. By day, he is an oil and gas geologist in Calgary.

Through his engagement with astronomy, Roland has had a significant positive impact on RASC and his fellow amateur astronomers across Canada. In his leadership role in researching and education of Light Pollution Abatement, he has helped develop responsible lighting policies and in communicating light-pollution issues in many communities and with several local and regional governments.

Contact Us

Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Astronomical Society
PO Box 1354
Fort Smith, NT   X0E 0P0
Telephone:  1-867-872-0243
Email:  info@tawbas.ca
​Wood Buffalo National Park
PO Box 790
Fort Smith, NT  X0E 0P0
Telephone:   1-867-872-7960
Email:  wbnp.info@pc.gc.ca
Town of Fort Smith
PO Box 147
Fort Smith, NT  X0E 0P0  
Telephone:   1-867-872-8400
Email:  townoffortsmith@fortsmith.ca
​Updated:  20 Nov 2022
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