For too long, colonial language has dominated space exploration. There is a better way

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 10:25:57 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/for-too-long-colonial-language-has-dominated-space-exploration-there-is-a-better-way-264886>

"At an internal staff briefing last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy
declared the United States has a “manifest destiny to the stars”, linking this
to the need to win the “space race”.

This rhetoric is not new – it directly echoes US President Donald Trump’s
inaugural address from earlier this year.

The phrasing invokes US nationalism that’s historically been used to justify
colonial expansion and empire-building.

Language matters. How we talk about space exploration shapes the futures we
imagine and build. As two space governance specialists working together – one
non-Indigenous, one Indigenous – we see an urgent need for a different way to
view space.

An Indigenous-inspired lens can help us envision and build a future with
stewardship and shared responsibility, not competition and conquest."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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