Mann – a NASA astronaut – has become the first Native American to travel into space.
Last Wednesday NASA launched its SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.
On board were a team of NASA crewmates; Anna Kikina, Josh Cassada, and Koichi Wakata. Their commander was Nicole Aunapu Mann – a Native American woman and NASA astronaut of almost 10 years.
Mann’s journey on the SpaceX Crew Dragon makes her the first Indigenous woman to travel into space (John Harrington was the first Native American man to walk in space in 2002), let alone the first indigenous female SpaceX commander.
In fact, Mann is the first woman ever to command a Crew Dragon capsule.
The Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of California – with whom Mann is registered – were overjoyed by the news.
It’s hard to toe the line between celebrating Mann’s accomplishment as an astronaut, and her trailblazing as an Indigenous woman, without pigeon-holing her success.
But as Manni told Indian Country Today, it’s vital that we shout about indigenous milestones.
‘I think it’s important that we communicate this to our community, so that other Native kids, if they thought that this was not a possibility or to realise that some of those barriers that used to be there are really starting to get broken down’ she said of her SpaceX journey.
Native American’s face a constant uphill battle in maintaining a grip on their cultural identity.
Erased from US history, and stifled with legislation hell-bent on denying their place in modern society, Indigenous people need – and deserve – representation in all spaces, both on this planet and – as it turns out – beyond it.
According to Indian Country Today, Mann is also in the running to be the first woman on the moon in 2025.
Her past is as impressive as her future. Mann is a US Marine Corps colonel who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also holds a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University.
Mann’s achievements prove Indigenous peoples deserve a seat at the table. But they’re also a reminder that valiant success and academic accomplishment shouldn’t determine an individual’s worth.
Hundreds of thousands of Native Americans still live in poverty (the national rate for Indigenous Americans living below the poverty line is 25.4%). Reservations have poor access to clean water, healthcare, and quality education.
The long-held disdain toward the Native population is shifting in America. Thanksgiving, a day rooted in colonisation and Indigenous bloodshed, is slowly being recognised for what it is.
And Columbus Day – celebrated on the 10th October to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ ‘discovery’ (weighted parenthesis) of North America – is being replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day in numerous states.
But Mann should not be the first Native American woman – nay, woman full stop – to break intergalactic glass ceilings.
Her journey commanding the SpaceX Crew will be a source of inspiration to millions of indigenous people worldwide. And hopefully an eye opener for those who remain indignant to indigenous power, presence, and importance.
I’m Flo, (She/Her) a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I recently completed a Masters in Visual Anthropology, and seek to interrogate the ways digital spaces can amplify marginalised voices in the arts and cultural sectors. Follow me on LinkedIn or ping me some feedback via email.
In the UK, Meta’s AI smart glasses have been banned in courts, restaurants, and pubs, largely due to privacy concerns and reports of wearers secretly filming others without their knowledge. What might it mean for the tech’s future?
As of last week, Meta’s AI smart glasses have been banned in courts, restaurants, and some pubs, at least in the UK.
It follows a turbulent year for Zuckerberg’s latest tech venture....
The booming world of rapid, vertical mini dramas has generated a multi-million dollar mobile entertainment industry. It’s also fuelled worker exploitation, low wages, and suffocating schedules.
Is TV getting dumber? In today’s post-literate society – an era Rose Horowitch deftly explores in a recent piece for The Atlantic – how we entertain ourselves is a hot topic.
From the second-screen problem to the rise of AI-generated content, the general consensus is...
With antibiotic resistant infections on the rise, this new breakthrough paves the way for scalable AI-driven phage therapy, while simultaneously creating ethical concerns over biosecurity.
Antibiotics is just one of those discoveries that ended up being fundamental to human history. It turned fatal infections into treatable conditions. In doing so, its inclusion became a necessity in modern healthcare protocols.
However, constant usage or the incorrect prescription of antibiotics in recent...
Streaming giant Netflix has apparently paid an eye-watering amount to exclusively showcase GTA 6’s ‘extended look’ trailer for only six hours. Why has it coughed up so much cash for seemingly so little?
Rockstar’s GTA 6 is the most anticipated video game of all time, with experts predicting it could make $3-5 billion USD in its first week alone.
Despite immeasurable levels of hype, the marketing rollout has been minimal, at...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
0 comments
