About the Project

The foundational principle of the Native Meteorite (NaMe) Project is that meteorites come from two places: where they formed, and where they fell. Meteoritics, the study of meteorites, is focused on understanding just one of these locations, but to truly encapsulate the entire history of a meteorite you must also understand the place in which it fell. NaMe aims to tell the story of meteorites that fell on Native Lands, acknowledging their cultural and scientific significance equally. This work is currently focused on meteorites that fell on the lands of the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw Nations, but will be expanded to include other Nations in the future. NaMe will also develop educational resources in the earth and planetary sciences that interweave the stories of Native meteorites with STEM principles. The work of NaMe lends itself well to place-based education, which connects student learning to their surroundings. This approach makes learning personally relevant to the student, which increases engagement, while also strengthening ties within the local and global community. For example, the story of how and where a meteorite was found can serve as the foundation for understanding the entire history of the meteorite, including its formation. This, in turn, provides a concrete example of the cultural relevance of planetary science and STEM.

Nations Highlighted

- Chickasaw

- Choctaw

- Cherokee

Find Meteorites By Location

Educational Tools

Meet the team

Team TES

Comprised of Ayomide Ayowole-Obi, Robby Dai, Erika Rebollo Díaz, and Alberto Gaucín; Team Earth & Sky was the developing team behind this site. It was built as their Senior Design project for the Computer Science department at TCU.

Rhiannon Mayne

NaMe Research Lead

Deante Moore

Logo designer and advisor

Kat Gardner-Vandy

NaMe Co-Investigator

Korie Hawkins

Project Advisor

| Story of the Logo by Deante' Moore

All of the colors included are colors that are found in trees, dirt, sand, or water. I wanted to use these colors to show the beauty of the earth’s colors. Also to be reminded that we are of the earth and that should be the center of focus. In my eyes, feminine energy is manifested in the beauty of what the earth gives us because the earth is our mother. The beautiful imagery such as the water in the background and the green leaves on each side to symbolize balance and representation of what the earth provides us to live. I incorporate two hands towards the earth with the medicine wheel colors (red, black, white and yellow) around the earth to symbolize that as children of the earth we must take care of her and also heal what has been destroyed.

I wanted to remind viewers of the responsibility that we have to do with our own hands. Also there is a meterorite coming down towards the earth to show the purpose of project NaMe | Nala. There are four eagle feathers in the total hanging of the hands to symbolize our prayers for guidance from our ancestors. Also, four is a sacred number and each eagle feather also has the medicine wheels colors on them to represent the four directions. Additionally, this is to show that every tribe and nation carries resilience, power and embodies the spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional knowledge to bring teachings to the stem field and also restore relation to each other and the land.