Star Stories Night: Bringing Culture and STEM Together

On February 27, 2026, Regina, Saskatchewan hosted Star Stories Night, a free community event held in recognition of Indigenous Storytelling Month. Families, educators, and learners of all ages came together to explore Indigenous knowledge through storytelling, science, art, and hands-on STEM activities.

The event took place at the Saskatchewan Science Centre, the Regina Public Library at the mâmawêyatitân centre, and the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre. A free shuttle ran between locations for visitors to experience activities across the city. Star Stories Night showed how culture, learning, and community can come together in meaningful ways.

Throughout the evening, visitors took part in storytelling sessions, art, performances, and science activities. The event brought together families where they can learn together and explore new ideas through both tradition and modern technology.

At the Saskatchewan Science Centre, Nanan Academy led a hands-on robotics activity for students. The activity used robotics to teach the traditional Indigenous Seven Grandfather Teachings, which are important values in many Indigenous cultures. A maze was set up for an Edison Educational Robot. At different points in the maze, students found pictures of animals, with each animal representing one of the teachings.

The Seven Grandfather Teachings

The Seven Grandfather Teachings guide how people treat themselves, others, and the world around them. Each teaching is linked to an animal.

The Seven Grandfather Teachings are:

• Wisdom (Beaver), using knowledge in a good way
• Love (Eagle), caring for others and all living things
• Respect (Buffalo), valuing all people and the natural world
• Bravery (Bear), doing what is right, even when it is hard
• Honesty (Sabe or Raven), being truthful with yourself and others
• Humility (Wolf), knowing you are not more important than others
• Truth (Turtle), staying grounded in your values

Students first identified the animal in the maze and explained the teaching it represented. They then programmed the robot to move through the maze. As they worked, students learned how to plan steps and fix problems when the robot did not move as expected. Through this activity, students practiced computational thinking, logical sequencing, and troubleshooting, while also building cultural understanding. As students guided the robot through the maze, they reflected on values while solving technical problems.

Through stories, art, performances, and time together, participants shared knowledge among the community. Star Stories Night showed how stories can bring people together and build understanding.