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.
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